Sentimental education volume II

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Title:SentimentalEducation,VolumeII
TheHistoryofaYoungMan
Author:GustaveFlaubert
ReleaseDate:December15,2008[eBook#27537]
Language:English
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EDUCATION,VOLUMEII***

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THE
COMPLETE
WORKS
OF
GUSTAVE
FLAUBERT
Embracing
ROMANCES,
TRAVELS,
COMEDIES,
SKETCHESAND
CORRESPONDENCE
Witha
CriticalIntroduction
by
FERDINAND
BRUNETIERE
oftheFrench
Academy
anda
BiographicalPreface
by
RobertArnot,M.A.

PRINTED
ONLYFOR
SUBSCRIBERSBY
M.WALTER
DUNNE,
NEWYORKAND
LONDON


Ah!thanks!Youaregoingtosaveme!




Sentimental
Education

OR,

THEHISTORYOFA
YOUNGMAN


BY


GUSTAVE
FLAUBERT

VOLUMEII.



M.WALTER
DUNNE
NEWYORKAND
LONDON



COPYRIGHT,1904,BY
M.WALTERDUNNE
EnteredatStationers'Hall,London


CONTENTS
SENTIMENTALEDUCATION
(Continued.)


PAGE

CHAPTERXI.
ADINNERANDA
DUEL

1

CHAPTERXII.
LITTLELOUISE
GROWSUP

47

CHAPTERXIII.
ROSANETTEASA
LOVELYTURK

62

CHAPTERXIV.
THEBARRICADE

110

CHAPTERXV.
"HOWHAPPYCOULD
IBEWITHEITHER"

193

CHAPTERXVI.
UNPLEASANTNEWS
FROMROSANETTE

214

CHAPTERXVII.
ASTRANGE
BETROTHAL

242

CHAPTERXVIII.
ANAUCTION

292

CHAPTERXIX.
ABITTER-SWEET
REUNION

CHAPTERXX.

315


"WAITTILLYOU
COMETOFORTYYEAR"

323


ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

"AH!THANKS!
YOUARE
GOINGTO
SAVEME!"
(Seepage107) Frontispiece
"CANILIVE
WITHOUT
58
YOU?"
WHENA
WOMAN
315
SUDDENLY
CAMEIN


SENTIMENTALEDUCATION
[CONTINUED]


CHAPTERXI.
ADINNERANDADUEL.
Frederick passed the whole of the next day in brooding over his anger and
humiliation. He reproached himself for not having given a slap in the face to
Cisy. As for the Maréchale, he swore not to see her again. Others as goodlooking could be easily found; and, as money would be required in order to
possess these women, he would speculate on the Bourse with the purchasemoney of his farm. He would get rich; he would crush the Maréchale and
everyoneelsewithhisluxury.Whentheeveninghadcome,hewassurprisedat

nothavingthoughtofMadameArnoux.
"Somuchthebetter.What'sthegoodofit?"
Twodaysafter,ateighto'clock,Pellerincametopayhimavisit.Hebeganby
expressinghisadmirationofthefurnitureandtalkinginawheedlingtone.Then,
abruptly:
"YouwereattheracesonSunday?"
"Yes,alas!"
Thereupon the painter decried the anatomy of English horses, and praised the
horsesofGericourtandthehorsesoftheParthenon.
"Rosanettewaswithyou?"
Andheartfullyproceededtospeakinflatteringtermsabouther.
Frederick'sfreezingmannerputhimalittleoutofcountenance.
Hedidnotknowhowtobringaboutthequestionofherportrait.Hisfirstidea
hadbeentodoaportraitinthestyleofTitian.Butgraduallythevariedcolouring
ofhismodelhadbewitchedhim;hehadgoneonboldlywiththework,heaping
uppasteonpasteandlightonlight.Rosanette,inthebeginning,wasenchanted.
HerappointmentswithDelmarhadinterruptedthesittings,andleftPellerinall


the time to get bedazzled. Then, as his admiration began to subside, he asked
himselfwhetherthepicturemightnotbeonalargerscale.Hehadgonetohave
anotherlookattheTitians,realisedhowthegreatartisthadfilledinhisportraits
withsuchfinish,andsawwhereinhisownshortcomingslay;andthenhebegan
togoovertheoutlinesagaininthemostsimplefashion.Afterthat,hesought,by
scraping them off, to lose there, to mingle there, all the tones of the head and
thoseofthebackground;andthefacehadassumedconsistencyandtheshades
vigour—thewholeworkhadalookofgreaterfirmness.AtlengththeMaréchale
came back again. She even indulged in some hostile criticisms. The painter
naturallyperseveredinhisowncourse.Aftergettingintoaviolentpassionather
silliness,hesaidtohimselfthat,afterall,perhapsshewasright.Thenbeganthe

eraofdoubts,twingesofreflectionwhichbroughtaboutcrampsinthestomach,
insomnia, feverishness and disgust with himself. He had the courage to make
someretouchings,butwithoutmuchheart,andwithafeelingthathisworkwas
bad.
He complained merely of having been refused a place in the Salon; then he
reproachedFrederickfornothavingcometoseetheMaréchale'sportrait.
"WhatdoIcareabouttheMaréchale?"
Suchanexpressionofunconcernemboldenedtheartist.
"Wouldyoubelievethatthisbrutehasnointerestinthethinganylonger?"
Whathedidnotmentionwasthathehadaskedherforathousandcrowns.Now
the Maréchale did not give herself much bother about ascertaining who was
goingtopay,and,preferringtoscrewmoneyoutofArnouxforthingsofamore
urgentcharacter,hadnotevenspokentohimonthesubject.
"Well,andArnoux?"
Shehadthrownitoveronhim.Theex-picture-dealerwishedtohavenothingto
dowiththeportrait.
"HemaintainsthatitbelongstoRosanette."
"Infact,itishers."
"Howisthat?'Tisshethatsentmetoyou,"wasPellerin'sanswer.
If he had been thinking of the excellence of his work, he would not have


dreamedperhapsofmakingcapitaloutofit.Butasum—andabigsum—would
be an effective reply to the critics, and would strengthen his own position.
Finally,togetridofhisimportunities,Frederickcourteouslyenquiredhisterms.
The extravagant figure named by Pellerin quite took away his breath, and he
replied:
"Oh!no—no!"
"You,however,areherlover—'tisyougavemetheorder!"
"Excuseme,Iwasonlyanintermediateagent."

"ButIcan'tremainwiththisonmyhands!"
Theartistlosthistemper.
"Ha!Ididn'timagineyouweresocovetous!"
"NorIthatyouweresostingy!Iwishyougoodmorning!"
HehadjustgoneoutwhenSénécalmadehisappearance.
Frederickwasmovingaboutrestlessly,inastateofgreatagitation.
"What'sthematter?"
Sénécaltoldhisstory.
"OnSaturday,atnineo'clock,MadameArnouxgotaletterwhichsummonedher
backtoParis.Astherehappenedtobenobodyintheplaceatthetimetogoto
Creilforavehicle,sheaskedmetogotheremyself.Irefused,forthiswasno
part of my duties. She left, and came back on Sunday evening. Yesterday
morning, Arnoux came down to the works. The girl from Bordeaux made a
complaint to him. I don't know what passed between them; but he took off
before everyone the fine I had imposed on her. Some sharp words passed
betweenus.Inshort,heclosedaccountswithme,andhereIam!"
Then,withapausebetweeneveryword:
"Furthermore, I am not sorry. I have done my duty. No matter—you were the
causeofit."
"How?" exclaimed Frederick, alarmed lest Sénécal might have guessed his


secret.
Sénécalhadnot,however,guessedanythingaboutit,forhereplied:
"Thatistosay,butforyouImighthavedonebetter."
Frederickwasseizedwithakindofremorse.
"InwhatwaycanIbeofservicetoyounow?"
Sénécalwantedsomeemployment,asituation.
"That is an easy thing for you to manage. You know many people of good
position,MonsieurDambreuseamongstothers;atleast,soDeslaurierstoldme."

ThisallusiontoDeslaurierswasbynomeansagreeabletohisfriend.Hescarcely
caredtocallontheDambreusesagainafterhisundesirablemeetingwiththemin
theChampdeMars.
"Iamnotonsufficientlyintimatetermswiththemtorecommendanyone."
Thedemocratenduredthisrefusalstoically,andafteraminute'ssilence:
"All this, I am sure, is due to the girl from Bordeaux, and to your Madame
Arnoux."
This"your"hadtheeffectofwipingoutofFrederick'shearttheslightmodicum
of regard he entertained for Sénécal. Nevertheless, he stretched out his hand
towardsthekeyofhisescritoirethroughdelicacy.
Sénécalanticipatedhim:
"Thanks!"
Then,forgettinghisowntroubles,hetalkedabouttheaffairsofthenation,the
crosses of the Legion of Honour wasted at the Royal Fête, the question of a
changeofministry,theDrouillardcaseandtheBéniercase—scandalsoftheday
—declaimedagainstthemiddleclass,andpredictedarevolution.
HiseyeswereattractedbyaJapanesedaggerhangingonthewall.Hetookhold
ofit;thenheflungitonthesofawithanairofdisgust.
"Come,then!good-bye!ImustgotoNôtreDamedeLorette."
"Holdon!Why?"


"The anniversary service for Godefroy Cavaignac is taking place there to-day.
Hediedatwork—thatman!Butallisnotover.Whoknows?"
AndSénécal,withashowoffortitude,putouthishand:
"Perhapsweshallneverseeeachotheragain!good-bye!"
This "good-bye," repeated several times, his knitted brows as he gazed at the
dagger, his resignation, and the solemnity of his manner, above all, plunged
Frederick into a thoughtful mood, but very soon he ceased to think about
Sénécal.

Duringthesameweek,hisnotaryatHavresenthimthesumrealisedbythesale
ofhisfarm—onehundredandseventy-fourthousandfrancs.Hedivideditinto
twoportions,investedthefirsthalfintheFunds,andbroughtthesecondhalfto
astock-brokertotakehischanceofmakingmoneybyitontheBourse.
He dined at fashionable taverns, went to the theatres, and was trying to amuse
himselfasbesthecould,whenHussonnetaddressedalettertohimannouncing
in a gay fashion that the Maréchale had got rid of Cisy the very day after the
races.Frederickwasdelightedatthisintelligence,withouttakingthetroubleto
ascertainwhattheBohemian'smotivewasingivinghimtheinformation.
It so happened that he met Cisy, three days later. That aristocratic young
gentleman kept his counteance, and even invited Frederick to dine on the
followingWednesday.
On the morning of that day, the latter received a notification from a processserver,inwhichM.CharlesJeanBaptisteOudryapprisedhimthatbytheterms
of a legal judgment he had become the purchaser of a property situated at
Belleville, belonging to M. Jacques Arnoux, and that he was ready to pay the
two hundred and twenty-three thousand for which it had been sold. But, as it
appeared by the same decree that the amount of the mortgages with which the
estate was encumbered exceeded the purchase-money, Frederick's claim would
inconsequencebecompletelyforfeited.
The entire mischief arose from not having renewed the registration of the
mortgagewithinthepropertime.Arnouxhadundertakentoattendtothismatter
formally himself, and had then forgotten all about it. Frederick got into a rage
withhimforthis,andwhentheyoungman'sangerhadpassedoff:
"Well,afterwards——what?"


"Ifthiscansavehim,somuchthebetter.Itwon'tkillme!Letusthinknomore
aboutit!"
But, while moving about his papers on the table, he came across Hussonnet's
letter, and noticed the postscript, which had not at first attracted his attention.

TheBohemianwantedjustfivethousandfrancstogivethejournalastart.
"Ah!thisfellowisworryingmetodeath!"
Andhesentacurtanswer,unceremoniouslyrefusingtheapplication.Afterthat,
hedressedhimselftogototheMaisond'Or.
Cisyintroducedhisguests,beginningwiththemostrespectableofthem,abig,
white-hairedgentleman.
"The Marquis Gilbert des Aulnays, my godfather. Monsieur Anselme de
Forchambeaux," he said next—(a thin, fair-haired young man, already bald);
then, pointing towards a simple-mannered man of forty: "Joseph Boffreu, my
cousin; and here is my old tutor, Monsieur Vezou"—a person who seemed a
mixtureofaploughmanandaseminarist,withlargewhiskersandalongfrockcoat fastened at the end by a single button, so that it fell over his chest like a
shawl.
Cisywasexpectingsomeoneelse—theBarondeComaing,who"mightperhaps
come,butitwasnotcertain."Helefttheroomeveryminute,andappearedtobe
inarestlessframeofmind.Finally,ateighto'clock,theyproceededtowardsan
apartment splendidly lighted up and much more spacious than the number of
guestsrequired.Cisyhadselecteditforthespecialpurposeofdisplay.
A vermilion épergne laden with flowers and fruit occupied the centre of the
table,whichwascoveredwithsilverdishes,aftertheoldFrenchfashion;glass
bowlsfullofsaltmeatsandspicesformedaborderallaroundit.Jarsoficedred
wine stood at regular distances from each other. Five glasses of different sizes
wererangedbeforeeachplate,withthingsofwhichtheusecouldnotbedivined
—a thousand dinner utensils of an ingenious description. For the first course
alone,therewasasturgeon'sjowlmoistenedwithchampagne,aYorkshireham
with tokay, thrushes with sauce, roast quail, a béchamel vol-au-vent, a stew of
red-leggedpartridges,andatthetwoendsofallthis,fringesofpotatoeswhich
weremingledwithtruffles.Theapartmentwasilluminatedbyalustreandsome
girandoles,anditwashungwithreddamaskcurtains.

Four men-servants in black coats stood behind the armchairs, which were
upholstered in morocco. At this sight the guests uttered an exclamation—the
tutormoreemphaticallythantherest.
"Uponmyword,ourhosthasindulgedinafoolishlylavishdisplayofluxury.It
istoobeautiful!"
"Isthatso?"saidtheVicomtedeCisy;"Comeon,then!"
And,astheywereswallowingthefirstspoonful:
"Well, my dear old friend Aulnays, have you been to the Palais-Royal to see
PèreetPortier?"
"YouknowwellthatIhavenotimetogo!"repliedtheMarquis.
His mornings were taken up with a course of arboriculture, his evenings were
spentattheAgriculturalClub,andallhisafternoonswereoccupiedbyastudyof
the implements of husbandry in manufactories. As he resided at Saintonge for
threefourthsoftheyear,hetookadvantageofhisvisitstothecapitaltogetfresh
information;andhislarge-brimmedhat,whichlayonaside-table,wascrammed
withpamphlets.
ButCisy,observingthatM.deForchambeauxrefusedtotakewine:
"Goon,damnit,drink!You'renotingoodformforyourlastbachelor'smeal!"
Atthisremarkallbowedandcongratulatedhim.
"Andtheyounglady,"saidthetutor,"ischarming,I'msure?"
"Faith,sheis!"exclaimedCisy."Nomatter,heismakingamistake;marriageis
suchastupidthing!"
"Youtalkinathoughtlessfashion,myfriend!"returnedM.desAulnays,while
tearsbegantogatherinhiseyesattherecollectionofhisowndeadwife.
AndForchambeauxrepeatedseveraltimesinsuccession:
"Itwillbeyourowncase—itwillbeyourowncase!"
Cisyprotested.Hepreferredtoenjoyhimself—to"liveinthefree-and-easystyle
of the Regency days." He wanted to learn the shoe-trick, in order to visit the
thieves'tavernsofthecity,likeRodolpheintheMysteriesofParis;drewoutof

his pocket a dirty clay pipe, abused the servants, and drank a great quantity;
then, in order to create a good impression about himself, he disparaged all the
dishes.Heevensentawaythetruffles;andthetutor,whowasexceedinglyfond
ofthem,saidthroughservility;
"Thesearenotasgoodasyourgrandmother'ssnow-whiteeggs."
Thenhebegantochatwiththepersonsittingnexttohim,theagriculturist,who
foundmanyadvantagesfromhissojourninthecountry,ifitwereonlytobeable
tobringuphisdaughterswithsimpletastes.Thetutorapprovedofhisideasand
toadied to him, supposing that this gentleman possessed influence over his
formerpupil,whosemanofbusinesshewasanxioustobecome.
FrederickhadcometherefilledwithhostilitytoCisy;buttheyoungaristocrat's
idiocy had disarmed him. However, as the other's gestures, face, and entire
person brought back to his recollection the dinner at the Café Anglais, he got
moreandmoreirritated;andhelenthisearstothecomplimentaryremarksmade
inalowtonebyJoseph,thecousin,afineyoungfellowwithoutanymoney,who
wasaloverofthechaseandaUniversityprizeman.Cisy,forthesakeofalaugh,
calledhima"catcher"[A]severaltimes;thensuddenly:
"Ha!herecomestheBaron!"
At that moment, there entered a jovial blade of thirty, with somewhat roughlookingfeaturesandactivelimbs,wearinghishatoverhisearanddisplayinga
flowerinhisbutton-hole.HewastheVicomte'sideal.Theyoungaristocratwas
delightedathavinghimthere;andstimulatedbyhispresence,heevenattempted
apun;forhesaid,astheypassedaheath-cock:
"There'sthebestofLaBruyère'scharacters!"[B]
Afterthat,heputaheapofquestionstoM.deComaingaboutpersonsunknown
tosociety;then,asifanideahadsuddenlyseizedhim:
"Tellme,pray!haveyouthoughtaboutme?"
Theothershruggedhisshoulders:
"Youarenotoldenough,mylittleman.Itisimpossible!"
Cisy had begged of the Baron to get him admitted into his club. But the other

having,nodoubt,takenpityonhisvanity:


"Ha!Iwasforgetting!Athousandcongratulationsonhavingwonyourbet,my
dearfellow!"
"Whatbet?"
"Thebetyoumadeattheracestoeffectanentrancethesameeveningintothat
lady'shouse."
Frederickfeltasifhehadgotalashwithawhip.Hewasspeedilyappeasedby
thelookofutterconfusioninCisy'sface.
In fact, the Maréchale, next morning, was filled with regret when Arnoux, her
firstlover,hergoodfriend,hadpresentedhimselfthatveryday.Theybothgave
theVicomtetounderstandthathewasintheway,andkickedhimoutwithout
muchceremony.
Hepretendednottohaveheardwhatwassaid.
TheBaronwenton:
"Whathasbecomeofher,thisfineRose?Issheasprettyasever?"showingby
hismannerthathehadbeenontermsofintimacywithher.
Frederickwaschagrinedbythediscovery.
"There's nothing to blush at," said the Baron, pursuing the topic, "'tis a good
thing!"
Cisysmackedhistongue.
"Whew!notsogood!"
"Ha!"
"Ohdear,yes!Inthefirstplace,Ifoundhernothingextraordinary,andthen,you
pickupthelikeofherasoftenasyouplease,for,infact,sheisforsale!"
"Notforeveryone!"remarkedFrederick,withsomebitterness.
"Heimaginesthatheisdifferentfromtheothers,"wasCisy'scomment."Whata
goodjoke!"
Andalaughranroundthetable.

Frederick felt as if the palpitations of his heart would suffocate him. He


swallowedtwoglassesofwateroneaftertheother.
ButtheBaronhadpreservedalivelyrecollectionofRosanette.
"IsshestillinterestedinafellownamedArnoux?"
"Ihaven'tthefaintestidea,"saidCisy,"Idon'tknowthatgentleman!"
Nevertheless,hesuggestedthathebelievedArnouxwasasortofswindler.
"Amoment!"exclaimedFrederick.
"However,thereisnodoubtaboutit!Legalproceedingshavebeentakenagainst
him."
"Thatisnottrue!"
Frederick began to defend Arnoux, vouched for his honesty, ended by
convincinghimselfofit,andconcoctedfiguresandproofs.TheVicomte,fullof
spite,andtipsyinaddition,persistedinhisassertions,sothatFredericksaidto
himgravely:
"Istheobjectofthistogiveoffencetome,Monsieur?"
AndhelookedCisyfullintheface,witheyeballsasredashiscigar.
"Oh!notatall.Igrantyouthathepossessessomethingverynice—hiswife."
"Doyouknowher?"
"Faith,Ido!SophieArnoux;everyoneknowsher."
"Youmeantotellmethat?"
Cisy,whohadstaggeredtohisfeet,hiccoughed:
"Everyone—knows—her."
"Holdyourtongue.Itisnotwithwomenofhersortyoukeepcompany!"
"I—flattermyself—itis."
Frederick flung a plate at his face. It passed like a flash of lightning over the
table,knockeddowntwobottles,demolishedafruit-dish,andbreakingintothree
pieces,byknockingagainsttheépergne,hittheVicomteinthestomach.

All the other guests arose to hold him back. He struggled and shrieked,
possessedbyakindoffrenzy.
M.desAulnayskeptrepeating:
"Come,becalm,mydearboy!"
"Why,thisisfrightful!"shoutedthetutor.
Forchambeaux, livid as a plum, was trembling. Joseph indulged in repeated
outbursts of laughter. The attendants sponged out the traces of the wine, and
gathered up the remains of the dinner from the floor; and the Baron went and
shutthewindow,fortheuproar,inspiteofthenoiseofcarriage-wheels,couldbe
heardontheboulevard.
As all present at the moment the plate had been flung had been talking at the
sametime,itwasimpossibletodiscoverthecauseoftheattack—whetheritwas
onaccountofArnoux,MadameArnoux,Rosanette,orsomebodyelse.Onething
onlytheywerecertainof,thatFrederickhadactedwithindescribablebrutality.
Onhispart,herefusedpositivelytotestifytheslightestregretforwhathehad
done.
M.desAulnaystriedtosoftenhim.CousinJoseph,thetutor,andForchambeaux
himselfjoinedintheeffort.TheBaron,allthistime,wascheeringupCisy,who,
yieldingtonervousweakness,begantoshedtears.
Frederick, on the contrary, was getting more and more angry, and they would
have remained there till daybreak if the Baron had not said, in order to bring
matterstoaclose:
"TheVicomte,Monsieur,willsendhissecondstocallonyouto-morrow."
"Yourhour?"
"Twelve,ifitsuitsyou."
"Perfectly,Monsieur."
Frederick,assoonashewasintheopenair,drewadeepbreath.Hehadbeen
keeping his feelings too long under restraint; he had satisfied them at last. He
felt, so to speak, the pride of virility, a superabundance of energy within him

whichintoxicatedhim.Herequiredtwoseconds.Thefirstpersonhethoughtof
for the purpose was Regimbart, and he immediately directed his steps towards


theRueSaint-Denis.Theshop-frontwasclosed,butsomelightshonethrougha
paneofglassoverthedoor.Itopenedandhewentin,stoopingverylowashe
passedunderthepenthouse.
A candle at the side of the bar lighted up the deserted smoking-room. All the
stools,withtheirfeetintheair,werepiledonthetable.Themasterandmistress,
with their waiter, were at supper in a corner near the kitchen; and Regimbart,
withhishatonhishead,wassharingtheirmeal,andevendisturbedthewaiter,
whowascompelledeverymomenttoturnasidealittle.Frederick,havingbriefly
explainedthemattertohim,askedRegimbarttoassisthim.TheCitizenatfirst
made no reply. He rolled his eyes about, looked as if he were plunged in
reflection,tookseveralstridesaroundtheroom,andatlastsaid:
"Yes,byallmeans!"andahomicidalsmilesmoothedhisbrowwhenhelearned
thattheadversarywasanobleman.
"Makeyourmindeasy;we'llrouthimwithflyingcolours!Inthefirstplace,with
thesword——"
"Butperhaps,"brokeinFrederick,"Ihavenottheright."
"Itellyou'tisnecessarytotakethesword,"theCitizenrepliedroughly."Doyou
knowhowtomakepasses?"
"Alittle."
"Oh! a little. This is the way with all of them; and yet they have a mania for
committingassaults.Whatdoesthefencing-schoolteach?Listentome:keepa
gooddistanceoff,alwaysconfiningyourselfincircles,andparry—parryasyou
retire; that is permitted. Tire him out. Then boldly make a lunge on him! and,
aboveall,nomalice,nostrokesoftheLaFougèrekind.[C]No!asimpleone-two,
andsomedisengagements.Lookhere!doyousee?whileyouturnyourwristas
ifopeningalock.PèreVauthier,givemeyourcane.Ha!thatwilldo."

He grasped the rod which was used for lighting the gas, rounded his left arm,
benthisright,andbegantomakesomethrustsagainstthepartition.Hestamped
withhisfoot,gotanimated,andpretendedtobeencounteringdifficulties,while
he exclaimed: "Are you there? Is that it? Are you there?" and his enormous
silhouette projected itself on the wall with his hat apparently touching the
ceiling.Theownerofthecaféshoutedfromtimetotime:"Bravo!verygood!"
His wife, though a little unnerved, was likewise filled with admiration; and


Théodore, who had been in the army, remained riveted to the spot with
amazement, the fact being, however, that he regarded M. Regimbart with a
speciesofhero-worship.
Nextmorning,atanearlyhour,Frederickhurriedtotheestablishmentinwhich
Dussardier was employed. After having passed through a succession of
departments all full of clothing-materials, either adorning shelves or lying on
tables, while here and there shawls were fixed on wooden racks shaped like
toadstools, he saw the young man, in a sort of railed cage, surrounded by
account-books, and standing in front of a desk at which he was writing. The
honestfellowlefthiswork.
Thesecondsarrivedbeforetwelveo'clock.
Frederick, as a matter of good taste, thought he ought not to be present at the
conference.
TheBaronandM.Josephdeclaredthattheywouldbesatisfiedwiththesimplest
excuses.ButRegimbart'sprinciplebeingnevertoyield,andhiscontentionbeing
that Arnoux's honour should be vindicated (Frederick had not spoken to him
about anything else), he asked that the Vicomte should apologise. M. de
Comaing was indignant at this presumption. The Citizen would not abate an
inch. As all conciliation proved impracticable, there was nothing for it but to
fight.
Otherdifficultiesarose,forthechoiceofweaponslaywithCisy,asthepersonto

whomtheinsulthadbeenoffered.ButRegimbartmaintainedthatbysendingthe
challenge he had constituted himself the offending party. His seconds loudly
protestedthatabuffetwasthemostcruelofoffences.TheCitizencarpedatthe
words,pointingoutthatabuffetwasnotablow.Finally,theydecidedtorefer
themattertoamilitaryman;andthefoursecondswentofftoconsulttheofficers
insomeofthebarracks.
They drew up at the barracks on the Quai d'Orsay. M. de Comaing, having
accostedtwocaptains,explainedtothemthequestionindispute.
The captains did not understand a word of what he was saying, owing to the
confusioncausedbytheCitizen'sincidentalremarks.Inshort,theyadvisedthe
gentlemen who consulted them to draw up a minute of the proceedings; after
which they would give their decision. Thereupon, they repaired to a café; and
theyeven,inordertodothingswithmorecircumspection,referredtoCisyasH,


andFrederickasK.
Thentheyreturnedtothebarracks.Theofficershadgoneout.Theyreappeared,
anddeclaredthatthechoiceofarmsmanifestlybelongedtoH.
They all returned to Cisy's abode. Regimbart and Dussardier remained on the
footpathoutside.
TheVicomte,whenhewasinformedofthesolutionofthecase,wasseizedwith
suchextremeagitationthattheyhadtorepeatforhimseveraltimesthedecision
of the officers; and, when M. de Comaing came to deal with Regimbart's
contention, he murmured "Nevertheless," not being very reluctant himself to
yieldtoit.Thenhelethimselfsinkintoanarmchair,anddeclaredthathewould
notfight.
"Eh? What?" said the Baron. Then Cisy indulged in a confused flood of
mouthings. He wished to fight with firearms—to discharge a single pistol at
closequarters.
"Orelsewewillputarsenicintoaglass,anddrawlotstoseewhomustdrinkit.

That'ssometimesdone.I'vereadofit!"
TheBaron,naturallyratherimpatient,addressedhiminaharshtone:
"Thesegentlemenarewaitingforyouranswer.Thisisindecent,toputitshortly.
Whatweaponsareyougoingtotake?Come!isitthesword?"
TheVicomtegaveanaffirmativereplybymerelynoddinghishead;anditwas
arrangedthatthemeetingshouldtakeplacenextmorningatseveno'clocksharp
attheMaillotgate.
Dussardier, being compelled to go back to his business, Regimbart went to
inform Frederick about the arrangement. He had been left all day without any
news,andhisimpatiencewasbecomingintolerable.
"Somuchthebetter!"heexclaimed.
TheCitizenwassatisfiedwithhisdeportment.
"Would you believe it? They wanted an apology from us. It was nothing—a
mere word! But I knocked them off their beam-ends nicely. The right thing to
do,wasn'tit?"