American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-07-05
echoed Lambkin

/
"Vous etes tray bong" repeated
Lambkin, rubbing his head. But why
did I throw the lobster salad into his
I face?"
"He accused you of having insulted a
lady related to him. Then he abused
your country and countrymen all round,
saying you were afraid of the Russians
and bullied the Zulus. This was more
than you could stand, and we sympa-
thized with you, for if we were in Eng
land and heard any body attack France,
we should act as you did. So we stood
by you"
"Je VOC remercy boccoo," faltered
Lambkin, in as good French as ho could
command. "It's very good of you
I'm sure, but now-now, what is to be
the result of all this2"
"You meet your antagonist on the
old race-course of Vincennes punctaal-
ly at half-past 9, with pistols" answer
ed Tartarin complacently. "You are
eeoh to have two pistols, and to Ere a
couple of shots at 20 PAGES. As soon
as you had accepted our services we
placed ourselves in communication with
the seconds on the other side, and it
was decided that such insults as had
been exchanged could not be wiped out
by mere mock duel. The other side
wanted duel to the death.''
"Ah, quite so," muttcred Lambkin;
"and may know my antagonist-my
bloodthirsty antagonists nsnep"
The officers laughed, thinking he in
tended to joke; but he was as serious
as sexton at burial. He felt that the
honor of his country had somehow got
into his keeping temporarily, and that
he had a bad headache-neithcr of
which was a joculr reflection.
Lieut.. de Flamberge informed him
that his opponent was M. de
Craquetot, young gomnaeur, a
fantdron whose head would be
much steadied by letting an ounce of
lead into it. This said, they requested
Lambkin to make haste and dress, and
they left him repeating that they would
wait for him in the coffee-room below.
When they had gone, Lambkin turned
out of bed and gazed at his socks in
CONSERVATION. Here was a usually well
behaved young man, who had been
piously brought up by maiden aunt at
Bath, whose heir he was; and his ex-
cellent relative warned him when he
started for Paris of the many pitfalls
that would beset him there. She had
objected to his visiting what she called
the Capital of Sin, but he had disre-
garded her advice, saying he wished to
perfect himself in the use of the French
tongue, and here was the result.
Only the day before Sylvan Lambkin
had cogitated as to what euphemious
periphrases he should use to intimate
to his aunt that he had suffered some
pecuniary losses, and wanted remit
tances. But what would his aunt say if
it reached her that he had fought a duel
after night carousal, and had been the
aggressorP Perhaps he should be
wounded, or killed; perhaps he would
kill the other man and be tried for muir
der; what would his aunt say thenp
For a moment the honor of his country
weighed very heavily on poor Lamb
kin's shoulders.
1t would be absurd to say that he did |
not consider whether there would be any |
means of backing out of the duel. He
wondered whether, if M. de Craquetot
withdrew the expressions on England,
be Qambkin) could (metaphorically)
withdraw the plate of lobster salad but
he saw this would not do. And that
sometimes derided thing,
national honor, has such hold on hon.
,st minds that this Oxonian, who had
never welded pistol or foil, felt he
would brave M. de Craquetot's bullets
l dozen times over sooner than blench
,nce in the presence of two French gen.
lemen who had relied on his pluck.
So he dressed and went down stairs to
he dining-room, where his two seconds
we're waiting. They were capital fell
ows, who forced him to swallow a cup
# strong coffee, and then, on the prin-
'iple of giving hair of the dog that
lad bitten him over night, administered
glass of brandy. All three then sailed
nut together to a brougham which the
Ulcers had hired. On the front seat
ay fiat box. with brass binding, and
which evidently contained the imple-
nents of the fray. The sight of it made d,
4ambkin's flesh creep. "We have sent
note to my regimental surgeon"
whispered De Tartarin, patting him on
he shoulder. ''He is quartered at j.,
7incennes, and will meet us on the
round"
"Quite 3d." rejoined Lambkin, not ,
much cheered by this gay communica- {
ion, and he jumped in. During the
Vhole of the drive that ensued he kept {
skiing himself how, when and where he j
ould possibly have insulted M. de {
fair relative. He supposed |
must have been at the opera bali; 4:
ut, being little used to insult ladies, he i
ursed the effervescing beverage which I
lad apparently dragged him down from +,
he heights of his noble nature. 6
The site chosen for the deadly en-
ounter with firearms was most ia
orable one for such work. Behind the
rand stand of the race-course lies
atch of turf. sheltered on the one side
y clump of trees, on the other by the
nclosure of what was once the weigh
ng ring. A 3uple of gentlemen might
xchapge shots for an hour in that sweet