The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-12-05
Diamond Gut Diamond
A GRANDFATHER's STORY.

Ldo IiOv SCV 1oSV ai hoP0 Va VIZ ASeo
OF their idol, and consequently had not
vet thought it worth while to settle down
into thorough peace and quietness.
Young Paul Ferrand, whom I fire.
q~uently met at the cafe, and who had
served as a captain at Waterloo, was
sure that the Little Corporal would come
back again soon. "You have not yet
beaten him." he would tell me laughing.
"You sent him to Elba, but he returned;
you have sent him to st. Helena, and he
will return again. We shall see."
Ferrand was an exceedingly nice fell
low ; and although he professed to cher
ish an unquenchable hatred for England
and everything English, he had, by some
means or other, become attached to Alice
Rae, a young English lady of my &C.
Quaintance, and who had been living
with her mother since the conclusion of
peace at Paris, not far from the abode Of
the ex-captain. And he vas always very
friendly with me too. he would, it is
true, abuse my countrymen most unmer-
cifnlly but he was always particularly
good-natured, and whenever he found
himself saying a little too much he
would arrest himself and apologize 20
heartily that I never could be angry with
him. I was alone in the French capital,
and had few friends there except Mrs.
Rae, her daughter Alice, and Paul ; and
80 it happened that I passed a good deal
of my time in the society of the three.
The mother, a woman still in the prime
of life, and the widow of a kings mes
senger, was a connection of mine by
marriage, and that fact gave me a good
excuse for Offering my services as escort
whenever she and her pretty daughter
thought fit to go to the theatre or the
ooera. At such times Paul always had
q seat in the stalls !; and between the
acts he would come up to my box, to the
delight of Alice, who was in love with
him, and to the no small satisfaction of
Mrs. Rae, who herself had quite a ma
ternal affection for the young French
man, and did not in the least discourage
his attentions to her daughter. If there
we're no formal engagement between the
two, it was ut least perfectly understood
by all parties that as soon as Paul should
get an appointment, for which at the
time he was a candidate, he was to marry
Alice ; and I, though only a few years
her senior, was to give her away.
One night the opera house was crowd
Cd more than usual. A great singer was
to appear, and a new work by a re-
nowned composer was to be performed.
But Paul Ferrand, sitting in the stalls,
seemed scarcely to listen to the music or
to notice the acting and much more
often were his eyes turned in the direc-
ton of my box than in that of the stage.
Alice and her mother were with me, and
as the curtain fell at the conclusion of
the first act Paul came up to US. He
vas in high spirits, for he had heard
that the minister had decided to give him
the coveted post, and he expected to
hear in a few days that his appointment
had been signed by the king. We con-
graduated him, and as he left us to return
to his seat 1 whispered to him you'll
be a happy man in a month or two
now, Paul" he smiled and shut the
door.
We watched him as he threaded his
way to his place. It was in the centre
OF the second row from the orchestra,
and he had left his opera.glasses on the
chair in order to preserve his right to it ;
out during his absence o tall, military
looking man had appropriated it, and
Lad coolly put the glasses on inc side.
Paul approached the stranger with the
utmost politeness, and, I suppose, for
naturally I could not hear, requested
him to move. The interloper did not
deign to answer, but s~neeringly looked
up at Ferrand, as though to ask him
what he meant by his intrusion. Paul
pointed to the ope~ra-glasses, but the
stranger neither replied nor moved, but
continued to appear s though he did
not hear. I saw that matters were as
suming a dangerous complexion, for in
the newcomer I recognized Victor
i.aroquiere, an ex-Bonapartist officer
like Paul, a notorious bully, and one of
the most celebrated duellists in France.
But what could I do? i could only sit
still, much against my will, and witness
the inevitable consequences. I thought
Alice would faint when Laroquiere in
the calmest way rose before the crowded
assemblage and struck Paul in the face
with his glove !; but she recovered her
self, and like a statue watched her lover
pick up his opera-glasses, bow TO his in
suffer, and, without a word, leave the
building. There were some exclama-
tions from the audience ; but the duel
list again rose. and with a theatrical air
gazed round, mockingly initiating Paul's
parting bow, and resumed his seat. This
was too much for poor Alice. She could
not remain any longer; she must go
home !; and so, with some difficulty, I
got her and her mother in my carriage,
told the coachman to drive them home,
and myself walked quickly to Paul's-
lodgings.
He had arrived before me, and was al
ready writing when I entered his room.
"Of course" he said, as Ee saw me, and
came towards me with both hands out
stretched, "you, my dear friend, will
assist me. 1t is impossible to do any
thing but fight. Even Alice could not
make me alter my conviction upon that
point, the insult was SO public"
"Suppose You leave the country" I
"Then L should have to give up the
appointment, and Alice, too. No, my
dear fellow, I am a Frenchman, and I
must fight. If he shoots me, it cannot
be helped; if I shoot him, I shall have
shot the greatest scoundrel in Paris. I
beg you to call upon Laroquiere to-
night. I have already discovered his ad-
dress. Here it is"
"But must you really fight? It is
suicide to fight with a professional duel
ISL" ....,
"Ah," he said. shaking his head, II
am afraid it is suicide; but 1 must fight!
30 please don't try and'persuade me that
I need not. And I will fight, too, as
soon as possible. You can arrange
everything for tomorrow morning. !
musthave the matter over. In q day or
two I might be a coward"
By his looks he implored me to 60 to
Laroquiere, and, constituted as French
society was at that time, I had no other
course open to me, than to do as he
wished.
"If Monsieur comes from M. Paul
Ferrand," said a man-servant when 1
inquired whether Icould sec his master,
en-. Laroquiere has sent to say that he
hes not yet left the opera. he has, how
yer. sent this penciled note, which J. I'M
to give to the gentleman who comes from
lT Ferrand."