human
I have found you at last, she said;
gpt
Excuse me, my dear love, for leaving the whist table, rejoined Monsieur Plays, alarmed by his wife's agitated manner;
human
Oh! monsieur, what do I care about whist! it's something much more important that I have to talk to you about.
gpt
You look as if you were very warm--would you like an ice?
human
Hush! and listen to me: Albert is not dead!
gpt
What do you mean? that young man who was killed in a duel for you?
human
Yes, Albert Vermoncey, for whose death I blamed myself, whose sad fate I lamented. He is alive; he is in Paris.
gpt
Then he wasn't killed dead?
human
Mon Dieu! don't I tell you that he wasn't killed at all?
gpt
So much the better! for he was a very pleasant fellow; and now you won't suffer with remorse any more, or shed any more tears over his premature end.
human
What do you say? So much the better! Why, you don't seem to understand that I have been tricked, made a fool of, in the most indecent way! as to Albert's not being dead--I am not sorry for that, although he behaved very dishonorably to me! But why should that man come and tell me that he had run his sword through him and killed him? Why bring me a cigar which he said he had found on the body? And I had the kindness to weep and lament and go into retirement for two months--seeing nobody but you, and almost bored to death! and to carry in my bosom that cigar, which was said to have been found on the dying Albert!
gpt
Ah! you had a cigar about you! so that's the reason that you smelt like a--trooper, and that someone said to me this evening: 'Your wife is a _lionne_.'
human
You see, monsieur, I have been played with in the most abominable way! But this is not to be the end of it! I trust, monsieur, that you will not allow people to amuse themselves at your wife's expense, and, consequently, at your own; for to show disrespect to a wife is to show disrespect to her husband, and I have been shamefully insulted.
gpt
But, my dear love, what do you expect me to do about it?
human
What do I expect you to do! what a question! I expect you to challenge the insolent villain who lied to me!
gpt
What! you want to have that poor Albert killed again? You have only just learned that he's alive, and----
human
No, monsieur; I am not talking about Albert now; but of that little man who dared to come and tell me that he had killed him in a duel. Do you know Tobie Pigeonnier?
gpt
Tobie Pigeon----
human
You must have seen him here two or three times.
gpt
Oh! yes, a little short fat man; I remember him very well. He's a very good-looking fellow.
human
He's a little blackguard, who lies with imperturbable assurance. It was he who offered to be my chevalier and avenge me; it was he who brought me that wretched cigar. Luckily, I didn't receive his news kindly; but, it doesn't make any difference, he was the cause of my crying my eyes out, and seeing nobody but you for two whole months; I will never forgive him for that. You must hunt him up, monsieur, and demand satisfaction.
gpt
What, my dear love, a duel?
human
I insist upon it.
gpt
But duelling is forbidden now.
human
I don't care if it is.
gpt
I don't know how to fight.
human
Everybody knows how to fire a pistol.
gpt
I have never tried.
human
To-morrow morning I will take you to Lepage's shooting gallery; you must spend six hours there, and when you get through you will be able to fire well enough to fight a duel.
gpt
But suppose Monsieur Tobie refuses?
human
Then you will have the right to punish him another way. Carry your stick, in case you need it.
gpt
But, Herminie----
human
But I tell you, monsieur, that I will have it so. Now, let us go home; I shall not appear again in society until I am avenged; for it seemed to me to-night that people avoided me, and that the young men laughed and whispered together as they looked at me.
gpt
Your cigar was the cause of that, madame.
human
No matter! when you have chastised the man who chose to amuse himself at my expense, others will not be tempted to imitate him. Let us go, monsieur.