The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1881-08-12
CHAPTER II.

No exprcssion of sorrow came from
Eraste's lips. He stood looking on
calmly at Thibaut's mad glief. The beat
of the feet in the adjoining ball room
continuation only few OF the guests
had noticed the terrible scene. The
beating of Celimenc's heart had stopped
forever.
Thibaut seized Eraste by the arm and
led him apart from the others. ,
s'This is your work. You have mur-
dered her 1t is no accident hut malice
prepense."
4 CLEAN of triumph came into Erastes
face, but he did not speak.
"The guillotine shall avenge her
death" vs.
Going back to the knot of people sur
rounding the couch on which Celimene
lay, Thbaut said in loud voice, hoarse
from passion: ...-..
Behold the murderer! NJ Eraste
He knew poor Celimcnc's condition, lie
gave her death dance Say, friends,
shall he not answer for it to the law Z"
Coward y cried Eraste, stepping for
ward. "You are unworthy OF the name
of Frenchman-unworthy the honora-
BILE profession to which you belong. lis
ten, TO me, good friends. l told him just
now that should send my representa-
tive to arrange ameeting between us, anc
viudIcatc the stain he would place
on my reputation. And this is his re
| venGc.'
Come, gentlemen, this is neither tho
time nor the place to quarrel sad Ok
Of the guests,
True" replied Thibaut, astonished a
the ffrontcry of Eraste.
| To contradict Eraste's version woul(
be to risk charge Of cowardice.
Let it be SO. |, notthe law,wili be th'
avcngcr," he said
The snow fell in thick, ilcecky flake
as a fiacre drove through the morning
fog 70 the Bois de Boulogne.
| "Thank Heaven, il is clearing little,
said Thibaut to M. Fleurant,a mercurla
young gentleman, who sat by his side,
If it were me, | should pray that
might grow denser, for | was suppnt
last night with Mile. Elsie, the danseuse
and the cliquot was quite too plentl
full"
u am sorry to have had to disturb
| you"
"Don't name it, l am onlytoo please
to have the honor Of being your second
Oh! this is the rcndczvous,l suppose
The coach stopped, and the two me
alighted.
II couldn't tremble more if | were &c
lug TO fight myself" Flcurant said. 6
think there's something dcucedly demol
alizing in snow. How do you feel?"
81 am sustained by my lust tor re
venge" ...
| "IIurrahl Here they come!
A pair Of horses came toiliDg throug
| the snow, and dragging large famll
carriage after them.
| M. Eraste,h his second,and DR., Deberl'
the celt brated physician, approached tn
two men who awaited them and salute
them with the utmost roliteness. Ever!
thing was do nguer and the two sworo
We're produced and tested, first by I'll
seconds and then by the combatants.
| Each seemed satisfied that the weapon
at least, was equal to the occasion.
Thibaut was unusually calm. He ha
spent the previous night in grieving tC
his lost Ccimcne, Eraste was unusuall
excited. lie had been to a gamin
house whore his reckless play la
! brought him alternately good and ba
luck. But he had left off looser TO
considerable extent. The same hit-o
/ miss kind of feeling seemed TO posse
him when his sword first crossed that (
Z his antagonist.
1t was to be duel to the death, AZ
, Eraste evidently wished to make sho
work of it,foratter a few passes,h he mac
{ terrible thrust at Thibaut, who pani,
. it with ready skill.
Both were excellent swordsmen, a.
for full five minutes their weapons elias
ed, but, as yet, without the infection
Z even scratch, AT length Erastes swo
broke at the hilt and fell in the sno
5 Thibaut restrained the impulse to ayi
/ himself of the position, and waited I
fresh weapons TO be brought from t
carriage .'...I.a
VI Meanwhile the leaden sky began
scatter such huge flakes of snow that I
s comb atants were nearly blinded. III
deferred for some time the combat.