Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-18
Roy, The RoyaliSt.
 BY WILLIAM WEsTALL.
CHAPTER VII.

ing for me was likely enough; yet could not think that she meant either to pro- pose an clopement or make me an offer of marriage; while as for myself, I need scarcely say (thc poor chevalier being hardly cold in his gravel that was in no mood for flirting or love making.
 On the other hand, why had she asked me to meet her secretly and at night, and what had she to say which she could not say equally well at her own house?
 After >trying long time to make ii out, gave it up and possessed my soul in patience. A few hours would bring the reading of the riddle; and the incl dent was so far useful that 1t helped tC divert my thoughts from the tragedy which l had just witnessed, and which redoublcd my desire to get out of a country where such things were possi- ble.
 By the time I reached my quarters Laclusc was sitting down to second breakfast. He invited me, politely enough, to join him; but l was not in the best of tempcrs, and the indiffer ence with which he heard of De Gex's execution and the dirty trick played me by Barras increased my irritation.
 "A mans life counts for very little in these times," said the captain, hippant ly, and if you had seen as many men killed as have you would not be so much affected by a single execution"
 II have seen men killed, and 1 have killed few mysclf-in fair fight-but l never saw man deliberately mur dercd bcfore."
 "Murdercd! Do you know what you are saying?"
 "Crrtainly, and repeat it. De Ge1 was murdered" l answered, doggedly.
 "In that ease, Lieut.. Forget, who commanded the firing party, Is a mur- drrcr, and in making this charge you insult, in his person, the whole French army"
 "I have no desire to insult either Lieut.. Forget or the French army; but what have said have said." You refuse to retract, then?"
 'I do."
 "Pcrhaps you will also refuse to give satisfaction for uttcring base slander,' said Lacluse, who was now white with rage
 Tt is no islander; and am ready and willing to give you any satisfaction you | may desire"
 
 whom you have mnligned, it is to him, not to me- that you will have to answer. Moreover, as you arc my guest, it would | not be cumme il faute for me to call you out Afterwards, if you like"
 II shall be ready and willing to an swcr to you or any other man, M. le | Capitainr."
 "Good again, NJ. Roy! 1 can appreci ate courage even in a foe, though l 1 hope you will soon cease to be foe. | Now that we have settled this little af | fair, so far as we are concerned, let us finish our breakfast. Have you seer l the MunitCur thlS mOrning?"
 "No. Why do you asl<?"
 "llrrr is something which may inter est you" Whcrcupon he took the 1 paper and read a paragraph to the eff feet that the preparations for the in- vasiun of England were being energct- ically pushed forward, and that Gen. Bunapartc would leave Paris on the following day for an inspection of the l coast. and a visit to Antwerp, Dunl1irk, | Amhlrtcusc, Wulchcren and Boulogne, where he would review the army of in | vaSiun.
 By this time was somewhat cooled
 
 rose to my lips, merely asking Lacluse whether he thought the project of in vaSion was serious.
 "Why not? England has neither an army nor a general"
 Hut she has a fleet and an admiral
 "Wrll, we shall have to outmaneuver your admiral and destroy his fleet Nuila tout"
 | Il quite concrdc that when you have done that the rest will be easy. How soon is it likely to take place, M. le Capitninc?"
 Ma foi! am unable to tell you, and to say the truth, the Moniteur Is 1T error. An expedition is being prepared but it's destination is not England" ''Whcre thcn?" ) II am not nt liberty to say. But } hope you will have an important com mand ill the fleet, which, I may inform } you in confidence, will be one of tn. : finest France ever sent to sea-" 3 Not feeling disposed to reciprocate M Z Lacluse's condolences, 1 parried hi I query by changing the subject, and h, n presently became so merry that I began D to think he had not been in earnest and that there would be no duel, afte 1 | all.
 B When we had drunk our coffee an, s smoked our cigars the captain said b 3 had an engagement at the war off1c' 5 which would occupy him for the re , maindcr of the day, and asked me t | sup with him and two or three of hi 3 comrades at the Trois Freres Proven Q cauX.
 : As the time he mentioned (nin f o'clocl1) would not interfere with m 5 rendezvous, I accepted the invitatio 1 with much pleasure" I was quit I willing to fight; but, if 1t pleased hin 5 to let matters rest as they were, 1t wa Q not for me to complain. had stood t # my guns, and no man can do more.
 So soon as ho was gone turned in fo " 0 couple of hours, to make up my al
 rears of sleep, then strolled about th
 streets for awhile, and towards sunst ,e bctook myself to the Tuileries garden l. where I was not long in f1ndin
 Mile. Carminc, though she was so clos c. ly yelled that had she not spoken fri f. l should have failed to recognize her.