The Black Robe

Boulogne-Sur-M

o no more for the D

arrived at the end of their resources. Her ladyship gave the mild climate a fair trial, and then decided (as she herself expressed it) to "die at home." Traveling slow

London at this tim

" he answered grimly. "I am on

and he was one of the handsomest men in England. When I add that I am, myself, a retired army officer, with a wretched income, a disagreeable wife, fou

n I could change

he burst out, with equal since

insurmountable horror of the Channel passage had got possession of her; she positively refused to be taken on board the steamboat. In this difficulty, the lady who held the post of her "companion" had ventured on a suggestion. Would Lady Berrick consent

ly on his way to Boulogne. I gave him some useful information

d me. He was thinkin

months of happy retirement in the country among my books - and what happens to me? I am brought to London in this season of fogs, to travel by

d. But my nervous system is not the irritable system - sorely tried by night study and strong tea - of my

bmit to any whim that seizes her. I'm rich enough already; I don't want her money. Besides, I dislike all traveling - and especially traveling alone. You are an idle man. I

or man. The proposed change of scene tempted me. What did I care for the Channel passage? Besides, there was

i

e shall be bored by the companion and the doctor. Meetings on the stairs, you know, and exchanging bows and small talk." He hated those trivial conventionalities of so

st smile. "What did I tell you? She is not well enough to see me to-day. The doctor looks grave, an

stion. Those late hours of study, and that abuse of tea to which I have already alluded, had sadly injured his stomach. The doctors warned him of serious consequences to his nervous system, unless

of course - the doors of which were still open. Some poor women were kneeling at their prayers in the dim ligh

ward practice was concerned, he belonged to no religious community. I had often heard him speak with sincere reverence and admiration of the spirit of Christianity - b

is administered with an admirable knowledge of the higher needs of human nature. Take as one example what you have just seen. The solemn tranquillity of that church, the poor people praying near me, the few words of prayer by which I silently united myself t

say that she would see her nephew after breakfast. Left by myself, I walked toward the pier, and met with a man who asked me to hire his

arrived at the hotel. A little open carriage was waiting at the door. I found Romayne impatiently expecting me, and no signs of dinner on

Town. I subordinated my curiosity to my sense of p

at the club. The near prospect of death has developed qualities in her nature which I ought to have seen

he was wrong, and he rushed into the other extreme - became needlessly distrustful of himself, and needlessly eager in seizing his opportunity of making atonement. In this l

of going to the beach, but the smell of the harbor drove me back into the town; and there, oddly

o Boulogne?"

exa

esid

ince that time he seems to have drifted into difficulties. We had a lo

as if I had known him for years. "Isn't it a little imprudent," I said, "to renew y

know that I mightn't be wronging an old friend next, if I kept Peterkin at a distance? His present position may be as much his misfortune, poor fellow, as his fault. I was half incline

o dine with Cap

g, as you know, to go among strangers - I said I had a friend with me. He invited you most cordially to accompany me. More excuses on my part only led to a painful result. I hurt Peterkin's feelings. '

easonable time to go out with Romayne, we might not have met the captain - or, if we had met him, my presence would have prevented the confidentia

ing by itself, surrounded by a stone wall. As we crossed the front garden on our way to the door, I noticed aga

i

g-room, my suspicions of the company we wer

finished and complete blackguards whom I had ever met with in all my experience, at home and abroad. One, with a brown face and a broken nose, was presented to us by the title of "Commander," and was described as a person of great wealth and distinction in Peru, traveling for amusement. The other wore a military uniform and decorations, and was spoken of as "the General." A bold bullying manner, a fat sodden face, little leering eyes, and greasy-looking hands, made this man so repellent to me that I privately longed to kick him. Romayne had evidently been announced, before our arrival, as a landed gentleman with a large income

ettes in their mouths. Keeping my eyes and ears on the alert, I saw an innocent-looking table, with a surface of rosewood, suddenly develop a substance of green cloth. At the same time, a neat little roulette-table made its appearance from a hiding-place in a sofa. Passing near the venerable landlady,

is," I whispered to Romay

e ladies asked Romayne, tenderly, if he was tired of her already. Another reminded him that it was raining heavily (as we could all hear), and sugges

he had drunk. He answered, discreetly enough, "I m

e misapprehension," he said. "Our game is lansquenet - essentially a game

with all needful care to avoid giving offense. The General took offense, n

men, that you distrust

y joined us, in the interests of peace - bearing with him th

" She turned to Romayne with her most irresistible smile. "A gentleman always plays cards," she resumed, "when he has a lady for a partner. Let us join our interests at th

ed to the card table. For a moment the General delayed the beginning of the game. After what had happened, it was

e Commander added,

r. "Gentlemen, if I have been led into expressing myself wit

unced. The General put his hand on

g some part in the proceedings of the evening. Small stakes were allowed, I found, at roulette; and, besides, the heavy chances in favor of the table made

smiled faintly as he looked at the money. "It reminds me," he said, "of my last transaction, when I borrowed of that gentleman there, who is betting on the General's luck at the card table. Beware of employing him as I did. What do you thin

tes and gold (won mainly from Romayne, as I afterward discovered) lay before him. As for my neighbor, the unhappy possessor of the bottles of blacking, the pictures by unknown masters, and the rest of it, he won, and then rashl

eet in a fury. "You lie!" he cried. I attempted to interfere, but Romayne had already seen the necessity of controlling himself. "A gentleman doesn't

e see whether he recovers or not." Cold water, assisted by the landlady's smelling salts, brought the General to his senses after a while. He whispered something to one of his friends, who immediately turned to me. "The General challenges Mr. Romayne," he said. "As one of his seconds, I demand an appointment for to-morrow morning." I refused

v

ed to threaten them with the interference of the police, and so to put an end to the matter. Romayne expressed no opinion on the subject, one way or the other. His conduct inspired me with a feeling of uneasiness.

y the secon

ors proved to be officers of the General's regiment. They brought proposals for a hostile

ut that he still had, formally-speaking, a reputation to preserve, was proved by the appearance of the two gentlemen present as his representatives. They declared, with evident sincerity, that Romayne had made a fatal mistake; h

t, there was but one course to follo

licate matter to dispute his right to claim satisfaction, when he had found two officers to carry his message. I produced the seized c

the discovery to have been really made) could justify Romayne's conduct. In the second place, the General's high character made it impossible, under any circumstances, that he could b

ground that we were Englishmen, and that the practice of dueling had been abolished in Englan

time residing. If you refuse to do so, you lay yourselves open to a public imputation on your courage, of a nature too degrading to be more particularly alluded to. Let us adjourn this interview for thre

their departure by one door,

" he said, quietly. "

I did, that nothing could justify the course he was taking. My remonstrances were completely thrown away. He was deaf to sense and reaso

asily find French seconds. And mind this, if you attempt to prevent the meeting, th

add that I accompanied him to the ground

o the appointed ho

challenge. At his suggestion, we had chosen the pistol as our weapon. Romayne, like most Englishmen at th

s. It was not pleasant weather to wait in. The day had dawned damp and

ll-dressed young man saluted Romayne with stern courtesy, and sa

ttacked that morning by a fit - the consequence of the blow that he had received. Under these circumstances, his eldest son (Maurice)

e up to Romayne, struck him on the face with the glove. "Have you no quarrel with me now?" the young Frenchman asked. "Must I spit on you, as my father did?" His seconds dragged him away, and apologized to us for the ou

ere unable to see each other. We were obliged to wait for the chance of a partial clearing in the atmosphere. Romayne's temper had become calm again. The generosity of his nature spoke in the words which he now addressed t

s for his skill with the pistol. If you didn't see it in his face just now, I did - he means to kill you. Defend your life, sir!"

derful. I placed him sidewise, in a position which in some degree lessened his danger, by lessening the surface exposed to the bullet. My French colleague put the pistol into his hand, and gave him the last word of advice. "Let your arm hang loosely down, with the barrel of the pistol pointing straight

and the two shots were

with a smile. His adversary's bullet had cut a piece out of the brim of

e could only see vague, shadowy forms hurriedly crossing and recrossing each other in the mist. Something had happened! My French colleague took

sudden it was broken, horribly broken, by another voice, strange to both of us, shrieking hysterically through the impenetrable mist. "Where is he?" the voice cried, in the French language. "Assassin! Assassin! where are you?" Was it a woman? or wa

joined us. After a brief interval he appeared

the General's son just above the right nostril - had penetrated to the back of his neck - and had communicate

e was something else to tell, for which ou

d seen the dreadful end. The seconds only knew of it when he burst out of his place of concealment, and fell on his knees by his dying brother's side. His were the frightful

y looked back at us, like a man turne

f the pistol; your risk was infinitely greater than his. Are you responsible for an accid

id, "to the en

ined impenetrably silent; he appeared not to hear, or not to understand me. The surgeon came in, while I was still at a loss what to

e nervous shock," he said. "Can you te

studies and the excessive use of

en the result of the duel is known in the town. If it ends in our appearing in a court of law, it will be

ayne offered no objection to our return to England; he seemed perfectly careless what became of him. "Leave me quiet," he said; "and do as you like." I

ther. As we passed her on the deck she looked at Romayne with compassionate interest so vividly expressed in her beautiful face that I imagined they

hat charming p

e. "I never saw her before. I'm tired - tired -

ss and suffering, now visible in his face, added greatly no doubt to the influence that he had unconsciously exercised over the sympathies of a delicate and sensitive woman. It was no uncommon circumstance in his past experience of the sex - as I mys

ought, I was recalled to present things by a low sweet v

g you," she said; "I thi

oman. A little heightening of her color made her, to my eyes, mor

m. His eyes wandering here and there, in search of me, had more than recovered their animation - there

u hear ther

thump of t

ing e

What do

nly turn

he said, "when