The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-12-16


and that is ?"
That he is a coward
You may say what you please Monsieur le
Comte Those who know me would not be-
lievc YOU, and those who do not-mv faith ,
what care ! what they think 2"
and thou art Frcnchmant'
| No one but Frenchman could have thrown
so much disdan as he did into the ''thou."
/ The strawberry eater made no reply. but
turned his head and called ''Garcon! r. The
poor trembling creature came up again, Won
dering what new dilemma was prepared for
him, and stood quaking some wards off
''Garcon, said the stranger, ''is there a room
vacant in the hotel?"
! -'Without doubt, monsieur
"A large one9N
But Certainly They are all large-ou
apartments"
Then engage the largest for me for to-day,
and another-no matter what-for Monsieur
| lie Comte''
Monsieur, give my own orders when nee
essary," said the Count.
| Il thought to save you the trouble. Go, if
you please (said he To .he waiter ''and pre-
pare my rooms"
| Then the strawberry returned to his
Strawberries. The bully gnawed his lip.
lie could not make head or tail Of his phleg-
/
for a horrid idea 90, abroad that the Count had
not found one who was likely to suit him, and
that he would have to seek elsewhere what
! he wanted
The murmur that Went round reused the
bully.
Monsieur" he Kissed, ''hts presumed to
make use of a word which among men fhon-
Or
Il beg your pardon 81
| (which among men of honor
''But what can Monsieur lie Comtc possibly
know of what is felt among men of honor?n
asked the other with a shrug of incrcdulity.
| "Will you fight yourself with me- or will
you not ?n roared the Count, goaded to fury
| "lfmonsieur lie Comte will give himselfthe
trouble to accompany me to the apartment
which, no doubt, is now prepared for me-" re-
piled the stranger, rising, "a will salts fy him.
Good" said the other, Kicking down his
chair: Il am with you. | waive the usual
preliminarics. | only beg to observe that |
am without arms but if YOU
ooh! don't trouble yourself Oh that score >
said the stranger, with IL grim smile If you
are not afraid, follow me-
This he said in 4 voice sufficiently loud for
the nearest to hear, and the circle parted light
and left, like startled sheep, As the two walk
ed toward the house.
Was there no one to call the police ? no
one to try and prevent what to all seemed i'm
minent? Nota soul The dreaded duellist
had his evil fit on. and every one breathcd
/ freely now that he knew the victim was sclcc-
ted. Morcoyors no one supposed il would
end there.
The count and his friend C)wcre u5hered
into the apartment prepared for the latter,
who, as soon US the waiter had left, took off
his md wa oDI l,rDnanIa tI N
the furniture, so as to leave the room free for
what was to folloW-the Count standing with
folded arms, glaring at him the while. The
: decks being cleared for action, the stranger
locked the door, placed the key on the man
| tlc-piece behind him, and said:
| II think you might have helped a little ;
but never mind. Will you give 1ne your at
tention for five minutcs?''
| <-Pcrtcctly.'
''Thank YOU / am, as | have told YOU, Il
Frenchman, but | was educated in England
at one of our famous public schools. Had
been sent to one of our own Lycees, | should,
perhaps, have gained more book knowledge
but as it is, | have learned some things we do
not teach and one of them is not to take a
mean advantage ot any man, but to keep my
own head with my own hands. Do YOU I'M
derstand me, Monsieur lie Comte -
II cannot tlatter myself that | do
"Ha Then | must be more explicit.
learned, that one who takes advantage of
mere brute strength against the weak or
who, practiced in any art, compels one IN
practced in it to contend with him. is a cow
ard and a knave. Do you follow me now,
Monsieur le Compte?"
IL came here, Mcnsicur-''
''Never mind what you came for; be con-
tent with what you VIII get. For example
to follow what was observing; if man
skilled with the small sword, for the mere vic
who has never fenced in his life, and kills
him, that man is a murderer; and more-a
cowardly murderer, and q knave''
81 think l catch your meaning but YOU
have pistols here" foamcd the bully.
81 do not come to eat strawberries with
pistols in my pocket replied the other, in
the same calm tone he had used throughout
"AlloW me to continue. AT that school of
which have spoken, and in the society of
men who have grown out of it, and others
where the same habit of thought prevails it
would be considered that man tho had been
guilty of such cowardicc and knavcry as
have mentioned, would be justly punished if,
some day, he should be paid in his own coin,
by meeting some one who would take him at
the same disadvantage as he placed that poor
boy at
''Our seconds shall fix your own weapons,
Monseur,' said the Count '.lct this farce
end"
presently. Those gentlemen whose opn-
! ions. | now venture to express, not having
that craze for blood which distinguishes
snne-who have not had a similar enlighten-
ed education-would probably think such
coward and knave as we have been consd
ering would best meet his deserts by rcceiv-
ing u humiliating castigation betting his
knavcry and his cowardce."
"Ah see hayea lawyer to deal With,'
sneered the Count
Eyes, l have studied u little law, but | re-
gret to say am about to break one of its pro-
visions"
| .sYou will fight me, thcn?'
eyes At the school we have been speak
ing of learned. among other things, the use
of my hands; and, if mistake not, am
bout to give you as sound 4 thrashing as any
bully ever got"
..You would take advantage OF your skill
in the box ?" said the Count, getting 4 little
pale.
Exactly Just as you took advantage
of your skill in the small sword with poor
young b"
'But it is degrading, brutal
s'My dear Monsieur, just consider. You
are four inches taller, and some thirty to forty