His father put on a dying look. "My soul!" At that moment his glance fell upon the paper which had been sent in by Madame Delicieuse. "But, Mossy, my son," he screamed, "_there_ it is!" striking it rapidly with one finger--"there! there! there! read it! It calls me "not responsible!" "not responsible" it calls me! Read! read!"
"But, papa," said the quiet little Doctor, rising, and accepting the crumpled paper thrust at him, "I have read this. If this is it, well, then, already I am preparing to respond to it."
The General seized him violently, and, spreading a suffocating kiss on his face, sealed it with an affectionate oath.
"Ah, Mossy, my boy, you are glorious! You had begun already to write!
You are glorious! Read to me what you have written, my son."
The Doctor took up a bit of ma.n.u.script, and resuming his chair, began:
"MESSRS. EDITORS: On your journal of this morning"--
"Eh! how! you have not written it in English, is it, son?"
"But, yes, papa."
""Tis a vile tongue," said the General; "but, if it is necessary--proceed."
"MESSRS. EDITORS: On your journal of this morning is published an editorial article upon the Villivicencio ticket, which is plentiful and abundant with mistakes. Who is the author or writer of the above said editorial article your correspondent does at present ignore, but doubts not he is one who, hasty to form an opinion, will yet, however, make his a.s.sent to the correction of some errors and mistakes which"--
"Bah!" cried the General.
Dr. Mossy looked up, blushing crimson.
"Bah!" cried the General, still more forcibly. "Betise!"
"How?" asked the gentle son.
""Tis all nonsent!" cried the General, bursting into English. "Hall you "ave to say is: ""Sieur Editeurs! I want you s"all give de nem of de indignan" scoundrel who meek some lies on you" paper about mon Pere et ses amis!"
"Ah-h!" said Dr. Mossy, in a tone of derision and anger.
His father gazed at him in mute astonishment. He stood beside his disorderly little desk, his small form drawn up, a hand thrust into his breast, and that look of invincibility in his eyes such as blue eyes sometimes surprise us with.
"You want me to fight," he said.
"My faith!" gasped the General, loosening in all his joints. "I believe--you may cut me in pieces if I do not believe you were going to reason it out in the newspaper! Fight? If I want you to fight? Upon my soul, I believe you do not want to fight!"
"No," said Mossy.
"My G.o.d!" whispered the General. His heart seemed to break.
"Yes," said the steadily gazing Doctor, his lips trembling as he opened them. "Yes, your G.o.d. I am afraid"--
"Afraid!" gasped the General.
"Yes," rang out the Doctor, "afraid; afraid! G.o.d forbid that I should not be afraid. But I will tell you what I do not fear--I do not fear to call your affairs of honor--murder!"
"My son!" cried the father.
"I retract," cried the son; "consider it unsaid. I will never reproach my father."
"It is well," said the father. "I was wrong. It is my quarrel. I go to settle it myself."
Dr. Mossy moved quickly between his father and the door. General Villivicencio stood before him utterly bowed down.
"What will you?" sadly demanded the old man.
"Papa," said the son, with much tenderness, "I cannot permit you.
Fifteen years we were strangers, and yesterday were friends. You must not leave me so. I will even settle this quarrel for you. You must let me. I am pledged to your service."
The peace-loving little doctor did not mean "to settle," but "to adjust." He felt in an instant that he was misunderstood; yet, as quiet people are apt to do, though not wishing to deceive, he let the misinterpretation stand. In his embarra.s.sment he did not know with absolute certainty what he should do himself.
The father"s face--he thought of but one way to settle a quarrel--began instantly to brighten. "I would myself do it," he said, apologetically, "but my friends forbid it."
"And so do I," said the Doctor, "but I will go myself now, and will not return until all is finished. Give me the paper."
"My son, I do not wish to compel you."
There was something acid in the Doctor"s smile as he answered:
"No; but give me the paper, if you please."
The General handed it.
"Papa," said the son, "you must wait here for my return."
"But I have an appointment at Maspero"s at"--
"I will call and make excuse for you," said the son.
"Well," consented the almost happy father, "go, my son; I will stay. But if some of your sick shall call?"
"Sit quiet," said the son. "They will think no one is here." And the General noticed that the dust lay so thick on the panes that a person outside would have to put his face close to the gla.s.s to see within.
In the course of half an hour the Doctor had reached the newspaper office, thrice addressed himself to the wrong person, finally found the courteous editor, and easily convinced him that his father had been imposed upon; but when Dr. Mossy went farther, and asked which one of the talented editorial staff had written the article:
"You see, Doctor," said the editor--"just step into my private office a moment."
They went in together. The next minute saw Dr. Mossy departing hurriedly from the place, while the editor complacently resumed his pen, a.s.sured that he would not return.
General Villivicencio sat and waited among the serpents and innocents.
His spirits began to droop again. Revolving Mossy"s words, he could not escape the fear that possibly, after all, his son might compromise the Villivicencio honor in the interests of peace. Not that he preferred to put his son"s life in jeopardy; he would not object to an adjustment, provided the enemy should beg for it. But if not, whom would his son select to perform those friendly offices indispensable in polite quarrels? Some half-priest, half-woman? Some spectacled book-worm? He suffered.
The monotony of his pa.s.sive task was relieved by one or two callers who had the sagacity (or bad manners) to peer through the dirty gla.s.s, and then open the door, to whom, half rising from his chair, he answered, with a polite smile, that the Doctor was out, nor could he say how long he might be absent. Still the time dragged painfully, and he began at length to wonder why Mossy did not return.
There came a rap at the gla.s.s door different from all the raps that had forerun it--a fearless, but gentle, dignified, graceful rap; and the General, before he looked round, felt in all his veins that it came from the young Madame. Yes, there was her glorious outline thrown side wise upon the gla.s.s. He hastened and threw open the door, bending low at the same instant, and extending his hand.