Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-27
IA larpe one q.

apartments
saThen engage the largest for me, and
another-no matter what-fOr Monsieur
lie Comte."
Monsieur, | give my orders when |
think them necessary" said the Count,
loftily. a@.as
II thought to spare you the trouble.
Go if you please (to the waiter) and pre-
pare my room.
Then the strawberry-eater returned to
his Strawberries The bully gnawed his
lip. He could not make head nor tail OF
this phlegmatic opponent. Inc circle
grew a little wider, for horrid idea had
cot abroad that the Count had not found
one that was likely to suit him, ana that
he would have to seek elsewhere what ne
wanted ;,
The murmur that went around reused
the bully.
to make use of word which, among
men of honor
II beg your pardon.
(which among men of honor
''But what can Monsieur lie Comic
possibly know what is felt among men
of honor ?" asked the other, with a
shrug of incredibly.
" y
will YOU not 2" roared the Count, goaded
to fury.
eff Monsieur lie Comte will give him
self the trouble to accompany me to the
apartments which, no doubt, are now
ready for me-" said the stranger, rising,
II will satisfy him. -
"Good. said the other, rising, Il am
with you; waive the preliminaries. |
| only beg to observe that am without
arms, but if you"
80, don't trouble yourself" said the
stranger, with a grim smile. II you
are not afraid, follow me.
This he said in voice sufficiently loud
for the nearest to hear, and the circle
parted right and left, like frightened
| sheep, as the two walked away.
Was there no one to call the police, no
one to try and prevent what to all seemed
| imminent Not a soul The dreaded
| duelist had his evil fit on, and every one
| breathed freer now that the victim was
! selected. Moreover, no one supposed it
| would end there.
| The Count and his friend % were
ushered into the apartment prepared for
| the latter, who, as soon as the garcon
! had left, took off his coat and waistcoat,
| and proceeded to move the furniture so
| as TO leave the room free for what was
1 to follow, the Count standing with folded
| arms, glaring at him. The decks being
cleared for action, the stranger locked
I the door, placed the key on the mantel
| behind him, and said
81 think you might have helped a lit
tie. Will you give me your attention
for five minutes ?"
Perfectly"
s'Thank YOU | am, as / told you, q
! Frenchman, but was educated in En-
/ gland, at one of her 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 which we
! do not teach, and one of them is not to
take a mean advantage of any man, but
to keep my own head within my own
hands. Do you understand me, Mon
sicur lie Comte ?"
, 81 cannot flatter myself that [ do.
cha! Then l must be one who takes
advantage of mere brute strength
against the weak, and who practiced in
any art, compels one uHpractised in it to
contend with him is a coward and a
knave. Do you follow me now, Mon
sieur lie Comte ?"
/
''Never mind for what you came; be
content with what you will get. For
example-to follow what l was observ-
| ing-if a man skilled with a small
| sword, for the mere vicious love of quar-
! reling, goads to madness boy who has
never fenced in his life, and kills him,
| that man is a murderer and a knayish
| one"
81 think catch your meaning; but if
| you have pistols here" loaned the
| bully.
Il do not come to eat strawberr ,es
with pistols in my pocket" replirL the
other, in the same calm tone he. mad used
throughout. ''Allow me to continue
At the 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 who had been
| guilty of such cowardice and knavery
/ as i 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 disad-
vantage as he placed that poor boy
! at"
"Our seconds shall fix your own
weapon, monsieur, said the Count let
this farce end"
Presently. Those gentlemen whose
opinions | now venture to express, not
having that craze for blood which dis
tinguishes some, would probably think
that such 8 coward and knave as we
I have been considering, would best meet
his deserts by receiving huniliating
castigation BETTING bis knavery and
cowardice."
''Ah / see J. / have q lawyer to deal
with. " sncered the count.
eyes have stadied little law, but
| regret to say I am about to break one
! of its provisions ss.,s.-I
You viii fight me then ~ e.. :,l..
.'Ye s. AT the school we have been
speaking OF, | learned among other
/ things the use of my hands, and, if /
/ mistake not, | am about to give you as
sound threshing as any bully ever
| got ,s eE..:.'.. :.
| 'sYou would not take advantage of
your skill in the box" said the Count,
growing little pale. us
! Exactly. just as you took advantage
! of your skill in the broad-swurd with
! young B." 5..,ssI .,-s .l:.E.
But it is degrading brutal"
My lear MonsieeI, just consider.
| lou are IOur lhCAeS Jat1er and some 30
or 40 .kilegrammes heavier than ] am,
have seldom seen. SO fine an: outside.
hf you We're TO hit me good blow,
|. it would go hard with me, In the. same
way, II poor young b. had got over your
guard it would have gone hard with you.
But then shall only blacken both your
eyes, and perhaps deprive you of tooth
or so, unhappily in front; but you killed
him" .....s.ti g.;s So. {.
Il shall not accept this barbarous en-
counter" said the Count. 1855. f: 5.;.s
You must. / have done talking
Would you like q little brandybefore we
begin? No2 Place yourself on guard,
then, If you please. When ] am done
with you. and you are fit to appear, then
you shall have your TeFenge-eEen with
the small swords, if you please. AT
present, bully coward - knaye - take
that, and that, and that" ,.,. e.l -