The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-12-04
ANoted Duelist's
Last Fight
A Story of the Reign of
Louis XIV.
By F. A. mitchell

Oy - <As AVA OAAEA
@~~~e~~e~~~~~~e~e~
Frenchmen have been more prone to
settle their differences by the code
duello than any other nationality. The
French also have maintained the prac-
tice longer than other people. But the
French code Of the sixteenth century
and the French code of the twentieth
century are two different propositions,
the latter being an enervated form of
the former. During the reign Of
Louis XIII. so many men were killed
in duels that the government issued an
edict making dueling punishable with
death. In the first decade of the twen-
tieth century there were few duels,
and those were only carried to the loss
of little blood
About the middle Of the eighteenth
century there flourished In Paris a
duelist, Louis Fontaine, who killed SO
many men that at last the king sent
him through the proper channel a noti-
fication that his next lAlling under the
code would be followed by his own
demise at the hands of the executioner.
The last duel of Fontaine's was es-
pecially inhuman. Young Albert LIE
Vert had just been married to a girl
very much admired in Partisan socie-
ty. One day LIE Vert passed Fontaine
In that street which is now Rue Ri
voM They met near where stands the
Louvre. 1t had been raining, and the
sidewalk was wet and muddy. The
streets of Paris in those days were not
the well paved thoroughfares they are
today. LIE Vert happened to step in a
puddle of water and despatched Fon-
taine's boots. The boots were covered
with mud already, but this did not
prevent Fontaine's making a pretext
Of the incident to send a challenge to
LIE Vert. The next day it was all over
Paris that the young husband had been
carried home mOrtally wounded by
Louis Fontaine, the cause Of the kill
ing being that LIE Vert had uninten-
tionally despatched Fontaine's already
muddy boots.
So much indignation was excited
, among the Parisians that the govern
ment felt compelled to take notice Of
1t; hence the communication sent to
Fontaine.
The duelist dared not disobey the in
junction, but he showed his contempt
for it and public opinion by sending
invitations to persons with whom he
had fought and only pinked to a sup
per celebrating his enforced retirement
from the dueling field. This act only
infamed the more the citizens of Paris,
especially LIE Vert's sympathizers. The
government was not In position to
forbid the supper At any rate, 1t did
not attempt to prevent 1t, and the in
vitations We're generally accepted, for
those Of Fontaine's former admirers
whom he had not killed were duelists
with sufficient skill to have saved their
lives. Such men were inclined to be
proud of having been out with the
noted Fontaine and did net conceal the
fact that they would be present at his
supper celebrating his retirement
So far as the duelists were concern
ed the meeting was a success. Among
those whose relatives had been killed
either by the host or some one Of his
guests there were mutterings, and dur
ing the evening a number Of them
gathered at the house of a man who
had lost son by Fontaines hand, and
it was proposed that they go to the
place where the celebration was being
carried on and express their disappro-
baton.
Men in those days wore side arms,
so it was not necessary that they
should provide weapons which they
might find necessary. Most of them
had rapiers, but some carried the clum-
sy pistol In vogue at that time They
marched to the house where the supper
was being edHen and, stationing them
selves under a window, began to jeer
and groan.
Fontaine, selling a pistol, went to
the window. followed by his guests,
and stood out on a balcony. Some one
below fired shot at the gang above.
This was a signal for the duelists to
send a fusillade down into the pro-
testants, whereupon the latter imme-
diately dispersed, some of them having
been wounded. They were followed
by ha, has from the duelists, who
shouted after them, calling them cow
ordc opd ofhar oopkov,, p4,,o,1c ro,,oc.
When the company again took their
places at the supper table Fontaine ad-
dressed his guests, expressing his re-
greet that he had been stopped from ex-
ercising self Defense" as he called
1t, in the only way befitting a gentle
man. But the government was too
powerful for him to oppose, and he
must needs retire on his .laurels al
ready won. He had fought his last
duel.
When the meeting broke up the
guests all pledged this admirable rep
resentative of the custom they advo-
Gated. Then as they passed out each
took him by the hand, expressing the
expectation that since he had passed
his last danger he would live a long
life in comfort.
When the door had closed on the last
departing guest Fontaine threw him
self into the chair he had occupied at
the head of the table. Whether it was
the change from conviviality to lone
liness or whether that still, small
voice" spoke to him, depression came
upon him in contrast with his recent
exhilaration. He closed his eyes and,
to shade them, covered them with his
hand.
While sitting there before him pass
ed all his encounters, most of which
were crimeR Last Of all came the
murder Of young LIE Vert, whom he had
snatched from his bride before the
honeymoon had passed. There being
no one present before whom his pride
would induce him to show his usual
braggadocio, he emitted suppressed
groan.
1t seemed to him that it was answer
ed by sigh-a wall, rather-from one
near him.
He opened his eyes.
There at the other end Of the table,
facing him, her sad eyes bent upon
him, sat a woman She was young
and beautiful, but she wore the garb
of a widow.
AS Fontaine lowered his hand from
his eyes it trembled. He had heard
no one enter Was this the shade Of
the widow of one of his victims2 He
would have questioned her as to who
she was and how she came there, but
thfS mon who hod faaod stool ond Iood