Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-05-27
Duels between Women.

iilo SCNICtsilN SOuIlttstbb VI Ills
intrigues. As it cost him no effort to swear
fidelity to Susanna to-day, to Johanna
tomorrow, and the next day to sacri-
flee them both for Marianne; so at the
same time, he for while amused
himself at the expense of the Mar
quise de Nesle and Madame de Polignac
Each of them supposed, of course, that she
was the sole mistress of his affections.
One morning as the duke sat over his
coffee, his secretary handed him, together
with other letters, two that had all the APP
pearance of bitlets dour. These his grace
handed back to the secretary, with the re-
quest that he would read them. The first
one ran thus:
4" Mon CHER AMI. For three whole days
have not seen you, These long separa-
tiOns rob existence of its value. When
shall | see you again?
- As ever, your
"MARQUIsE DE NEsLE"
Poor child!' said the duke. smiling
The secretary opened the other note and
read
1T seems an age since | saw you. A
horrid dream has made me restless. When
shall | see YOU?
Faithfully, your
COMTESSE DE PoLIGNAC."
"What time is it?" asked the duke, after
giving 4 moment to reflection
Eleven o'clock, your grace
= Have we any appointments for this
afternoon?'
No, none"
Very well write to the two ladies that
hope to have the pleasure of seeing them
at my villa this afternoon-the one at two
and the other ut four o'clock. And let
your messenger 90 at once"
Unfortunately, the secretary inadvert-
entity asked both ladies to come at two
o'clock. The consequence was, that they
treated his grace to one of the most stormy
and painful scenes that could well be I'M
agined.
The next morning Madame de Polignac
sent her rival a summons to meet her in sin
gle and deadly combat The Marquise de
Nesle accepted the challenge without hesi-
tation, chose the pistol as the weapon
and designated the Bois de Boulogne, of
course. as the place of meeting.
They were both punctual. The murder
Ous weapons We're loaded and the distance
WAS measured off.
Fire. said Madame de Polgnac to her
antagonist" but take good care that you
do not miss me if you do, you may be sure
shall not miss YOU
The marquis aimed and fired, but the
only damage she did was to shoot off two
or three little branches of bush that hap
pened to be in her range.
NV Indignation made my arm un-
steady" said she, with a frown.
Now it is my turn" cried Madame de
Polignac
She took deliberate aim. and shot away
a dim inutive piece of the marquises right
ear.
The marquise fell to the ground as though
she had been shot through the heart, cry
inc out, 'Oh, | am wounded. Madame
| forgive you"
Madame de Saint-Belmont was mas
culineFrsort of woman. Her husband
while in the service of the Duke of Lor
raine, fell on the field of honor. After this
event, madame determined to manage hel
own affairs, and especially to look person
ally after her interests on her landed es
tates, which were large. She therefore
spent much of her time in the saddle, anC
indeed in the costume of the contempo
rarv dandy To numberless other adven
lures and caprices she added that of insist
ing on fighting a duel with n young MAJ
who was enamorcd Of her wit and brigh
eyes. She rewarded his devotion by for
bidding him to approach her; but love il
sometimes deaf as well as blind. In thi
instance it is possible that the cavalier pu
the seeming invulnerability of the lad,
down to affectation. Be that as it may
|, meeting her one day in a wood, where sh,
had alighted to pick some berries, he threw
himself at her feet; but, to his protestation
of love and devotion, the hard-hearteC
Madame de Saint-Belmont replied:
You are challenged. Tomorrow
will run my sword through YOU"
And it was as she said it should be; tn,
f young man was killed by the hand of he
whom he loved more than life But hard
/ lv had he breathed his last, when his f;ai
antagonist was seized with the keenest re
morse She threw herself upon his dea,
body and wept bitterly. From that da.
, she was entirely changed; she became yer,
| devoted to the Church, heard mass twic,
daily, wrote three religious tragedies, an,
gave a large share of her income to differ
, ent religious orders. Her Indignation a
the young cavalier was only an inexplica
, BILE caprice; she had, in fact. unconsciousl,
loved him, as the sequel fully proved.
A similar but less tragic case is relate'
by Tallemand:
Mdudlllc SHdtedu-Ndy uc MuTtl Ildu
, lover in the person of a certain Monsieu
de Codieres. One day she thought hersel
justified in believing that he was unfaith
full All his protestations were ofno avail
She challenged him to single combat, and
, whether he would or not, he was com
PEELED to accept.
t De Codieres appeared on the grount
promptly, and was in an exceedingly ga,
, humor, for he looked upon the affair a
: simply a Jest on the part of his lady-love
: He soon, however, became convinced @
his error and that she was in furious ear
nest, for very soon IA well-directed thrus
| came near sending him to the LAM
: "whence no traveller returns" From tn
V determined manner in which she attacks
f him, he saw that he must be on his guard
He determined, therefore, to tire his fai
t antagonist out in which endeavor, in tn
: course of half an hour, he was SO success
e ful that she let her sword fall from shee
G exhaustion, De Codieres now placed hi
It weapon against her breast and asked
4 Well?'
p A look full of love was her only reply
t whereupon De Codiercs dropped his swor,
and clasped her in his arms.
X In consequence of Il simple dispute thu
t took place during the course of a perform
e ance, the celebrated French actress, Ba,
e pre-. challenged one of her colleague
d Catharine d'Urliss, to single combat, an
Q furthermore insisted on fighting imm
j diately. In her rage she went to the pro
i erty-room and brought two swords to Il
a green-room. Mile. d'Urliss accepted Il