Part 14 (1/2)
”Thank you,” said Montfanon, pa.s.sing his hand over his brow, ”I promise you to be calm.”
He had scarcely uttered those words when the door opened, disclosing to view another room, lighted also, and which, to judge by the sound of voices, contained several persons. No doubt Madame Steno and Alba, thought Julien; and the Baron entered, accompanied by Peppino Ardea.
While going through the introductions, the writer was struck by the contrast offered between his three companions. Hafner and Ardea in evening dress, with b.u.t.tonhole bouquets, had the open and happy faces of two citizens who had clear consciences. The usually sallow complexion of the business man was tinged with excitement, his eyes, as a rule so hard, were gentler. As for the Prince, the same childish carelessness lighted up his jovial face, while the hero of Patay, with his coa.r.s.e boots, his immense form enveloped in a somewhat shabby redingote, exhibited a face so contracted that one would have thought him devoured by remorse. A dishonest intendant, forced to expose his accounts to generous and confiding masters, could not have had a face more gloomy or more anxious. He had, moreover, put his one arm behind his back in a manner so formal that neither of the two men who entered offered him their hands. That appearance was without doubt little in keeping with what the father and the fiance of f.a.n.n.y had expected; for there was, when the four men were seated, a pause which the Baron was the first to break. He began in his measured tones, in a voice which handles words as the weight of a usurer weighs gold pieces to the milligramme:
”Gentlemen, I believe I shall express our common sentiment in first of all establis.h.i.+ng a point which shall govern our meeting.... We are here, it is understood, to bring about the work of reconciliation between two men, two gentlemen whom we know, whom we esteem--I might better say, whom we all love.”.... He turned, in p.r.o.nouncing those words, successively to each of his three listeners, who all bowed, with the exception of the Marquis. Hafner examined the n.o.bleman, with his glance accustomed to read the depths of the mind in order to divine the intentions. He saw that Chap.r.o.n's first witness was a troublesome customer, and he continued: ”That done, I beg to read to you this little paper.” He drew from his pocket a sheet of folded paper and placed upon the end of his nose his famous gold 'lorgnon': ”It is very trifling, one of those directives, as Monsieur de Moltke says, which serve to guide operations, a plan of action which we will modify after discussion. In short, it is a landmark that we may not launch into s.p.a.ce.”
”Pardon, sir,” interrupted Montfanon, whose brows contracted still more at the mention of the celebrated field-marshal, and, stopping by a gesture the reader, who, in his surprise, dropped his lorgnon upon the table on which his elbow rested. ”I regret very much,” he continued, ”to be obliged to tell you that Monsieur Dorsenne and I”--here he turned to Dorsenne, who made an equivocal gesture of vexation--”can not admit the point of view in which you place yourself.... You claim that we are here to arrange a reconciliation. That is possible.... I concede that it is desirable.... But I know nothing of it and, permit me to say, you do not know any more. I am here--we are here, Monsieur Dorsenne and I, to listen to the complaints which Count Gorka has commissioned you to formulate to Monsieur Florent Chap.r.o.n's proxies. Formulate those complaints, and we will discuss them. Formulate the reparation you claim in the name of your client and we will discuss it. The papers will follow, if they follow at all, and, once more, neither you nor we know what will be the issue of this conversation, nor should we know it, before establis.h.i.+ng the facts.”
”There is some misunderstanding, sir,” said Ardea, whom Montfanon's words had irritated somewhat. He could not, any more than Hafner, understand the very simple, but very singular, character of the Marquis, and he added: ”I have been concerned in several 'rencontres'--four times as second, and once as princ.i.p.al--and I have seen employed without discussion the proceeding which Baron Hafner has just proposed to you, and which of itself is, perhaps, only a more expeditious means of arriving at what you very properly call the establishment of facts.”
”I was not aware of the number of your affairs, sir,” replied Montfanon, still more nervous since Hafner's future son-in-law joined in the conversation; ”but since it has pleased you to tell us I will take the liberty of saying to you that I have fought seven times, and that I have been a second fourteen.... It is true that it was at an epoch when the head of your house was your father, if I remember right, the deceased Prince Urban, whom I had the honor of knowing when I served in the zouaves. He was a fine Roman n.o.bleman, and did honor to his name. What I have told you is proof that I have some competence in the matter of a duel.... Well, we have always held that seconds were const.i.tuted to arrange affairs that could be arranged, but also to settle affairs, as well as they can, that seem incapable of being arranged. Let us now inquire into the matter; we are here for that, and for nothing else.”
”Are these gentlemen of that opinion?” asked Hafner in a conciliatory voice, turning first to Dorsenne, then to Ardea: ”I do not adhere to my method,” he continued, again folding his paper. He slipped it into his vest-pocket and continued: ”Let us establish the facts, as you say.
Count Gorka, our friend, considers himself seriously, very seriously, offended by Monsieur Florent Chap.r.o.n in the course of the discussion in a public street. Monsieur Chap.r.o.n was carried away, as you know, sirs, almost to--what shall I say?--hastiness, which, however, was not followed by consequences, thanks to the presence of mind of Monsieur Gorka.... But, accomplished or not, the act remains. Monsieur Gorka was insulted, and he requires satisfaction.... I do not believe there is any doubt upon that point which is the cause of the affair, or, rather, the whole affair.”
”I again ask your pardon, sir,” said Montfanon, dryly, who no longer took pains to conceal his anger, ”Monsieur Dorsenne and I can not accept your manner of putting the question.... You say that Monsieur Chap.r.o.n's hastiness was not followed by consequences by reason of Monsieur Gorka's presence of mind. We claim that there was only on the part of Monsieur Chap.r.o.n a scarcely indicated gesture, which he himself restrained. In consequence you attribute to Monsieur Gorka the quality of the insulted party; you are over-hasty. He is merely the plaintiff, up to this time.
It is very different.”
”But by rights he is the insulted party,” interrupted Ardea. ”Restrained or not, it const.i.tutes a threat of a.s.sault. I did not wish to claim to be a duellist by telling you of my engagements. But this is the A B C of the 'codice cavalleresco', if the insult be followed by an a.s.sault, he who receives the blow is the offended party, and the threat of an a.s.sault is equivalent to an actual a.s.sault. The offended party has the choice of a duel, weapons and conditions. Consult your authors and ours: Chateauvillars, Du Verger, Angelini and Gelli, all agree.”
”I am sorry for their sakes,” said Montfanon, and he looked at the Prince with a contraction of the brows almost menacing, ”but it is an opinion which does not hold good generally, nor in this particular case.
The proof is that a duellist, as you have just said,” his voice trembled as he emphasized the insolence offered by the other, ”a bravo, to use the expression of your country, would only have to commit a justifiable murder by first insulting him at whom he aims with rude words. The insulted person replies by a voluntary gesture, on the signification of which one may be mistaken, and you will admit that the bravo is the offended party, and that he has the choice of weapons.”
”But, Marquis,” resumed Hafner, with evident disgust, so greatly did the cavilling and the ill-will of the n.o.bleman irritate him, ”where are you wandering to? What do you mean by bringing up chicanery of this sort?”
”Chicanery!” exclaimed Montfanon, half rising.
”Montfanon!” besought Dorsenne, rising in his turn and forcing the terrible man to be seated.
”I retract the word,” said the Baron, ”if it has insulted you. Nothing was farther from my thoughts.... I repeat that I apologize, Marquis....
But, come, tell us what you want for your client, that is very simple.... And then we will do all we can to make your demands agree with those of our client.... It is a trifling matter to be adjusted.”
”No, sir,” said Montfanon, with insolent severity, ”it is justice to be rendered, which is very different. What we, Monsieur Dorsenne and I, desire,” he continued in a severe voice, ”is this: Count Gorka has gravely insulted Monsieur Chap.r.o.n. Let me finish,” he added upon a simultaneous gesture on the part of Ardea and of Hafner. ”Yes, sirs, Monsieur Chap.r.o.n, known to us all for his perfect courtesy, must have been very gravely insulted, even to make the improper gesture of which you just spoke. But it was agreed upon between these two gentlemen, for reasons of delicacy which we had to accept--it was agreed, I say, that the nature of the insult offered by Monsieur Gorka to Monsieur Chap.r.o.n should not be divulged.... We have the right, however, and I may add the duty devolves upon us, to measure the gravity of that insult by the excess of anger aroused in Monsieur Chap.r.o.n.... I conclude from it that, to be just, the plan of reconciliation, if we draw it up, should contain reciprocal concessions. Count Gorka will retract his words and Monsieur Chap.r.o.n apologize for his hastiness.”
”It is impossible,” exclaimed the Prince; ”Gorka will never accept that.”
”You, then, wish to have them fight the duel?” groaned Hafner.
”And why not?” said Montfanon, exasperated. ”It would be better than for the one to nurse his insults and the other his blow.”
”Well, sirs,” replied the Baron, rising after the silence which followed that imprudent whim of a man beside himself, ”we will confer again with our client. If you wish, we will resume this conversation tomorrow at ten o'clock, say here or in any place convenient to you.... You will excuse me, Marquis. Dorsenne has no doubt told you under what circ.u.mstances--”
”Yes, he has told me,” interrupted Montfanon, who again glanced at the Prince, and in a manner so mournful that the latter felt himself blush beneath the strange glance, at which, however, it was impossible to feel angry. Dorsenne had only time to cut short all other explanations by replying to Justus Hafner himself.
”Would you like the meeting at my house? We shall have more chance to escape remarks.”
”You have done well to change the place,” said Montfanon, five minutes later, on entering the carriage with his young friend.