Accordingly they set out, Sanguinetti and Courthon going first, and Garnache following with Gaubert; the rear being brought up by a regiment of rabble, idlers and citizens, that must have represented a very considerable proportion of the population of Gren.o.ble. This audience heartened Garnache, to whom some measure of reflection had again returned. Before such numbers it was unthinkable that these gentlemen--a.s.suming them to be acting on behalf of Condillac--should dare to attempt foul measures with him. For the rest he had taken the precaution of leaving Rabecque at the Sucking Calf, and he had given the sergeant strict injunctions that he was not to allow any of his men to leave their posts during his absence, and that the troopers were to hold themselves entirely at the orders of Rabecque. Comparatively easy therefore in his mind, and but little exercised by any thought of the coming encounter, Garnache walked briskly along.
They came at last to the Champs aux Capuchins--a pleasant stretch of verdure covering perhaps half an acre and set about by a belt of beech-trees.
The crowd disposed itself on the fringe of the sward, and the duellists went forward, and set about the preparations. Princ.i.p.als and seconds threw off cloak and doublet, and Sanguinetti, Courthon, and Gaubert removed their heavy boots, whilst Garnache did no more than detach the spurs from his.
Sanguinetti, observing this, drew the attention of the others to it, and an altercation arose. It was Gaubert who came to beg Garnache that he should follow the example they had set him in that respect. But Garnache shook his head.
"The turf is sodden."
"But it is precisely on that account, sir," protested Gaubert very earnestly. "In your boots you will be unable to stand firm; you will run the risk of slipping every time that you break ground."
"I venture to think, sir, that that is my affair," said Garnache stiffly.
"But it is not," the other cried. "If you fight in your boots, we must all do the same, and for myself--well, I have not come here to commit suicide."
"Look you, Monsieur Gaubert," said Garnache quietly, "your opponent will be Monsieur Courthon, and since he is in his stockinged feet, there is no reason why you yourself should not remain so too. As for me, I retain my boots, and Monsieur Sanguinetti may have all the advantage that may give him. Since I am content, in Heaven"s name let the fight go forward.
I am in haste."
Gaubert bowed in submission; but Sanguinetti, who had overheard, turned with an oath.
"By G.o.d, no!" said he. "I need no such advantage, sir. Courthon, be so good as to help me on with my boots again." And there was a fresh delay whilst he resumed them.
At last, however, the four men came together, and proceeded to the measurement of swords. It was found that Sanguinetti"s was two inches longer than any of the other three.
"It is the usual length in Italy," said Sanguinetti with a shrug.
"If monsieur had realized that he was no longer in Italy, we might perhaps have been spared this very foolish business," answered Garnache testily.
"But what are we to do?" cried the perplexed Gaubert.
"Fight," said Garnache impatiently. "Is there never to be an end to these preliminaries?"
"But I cannot permit you to oppose yourself to a sword two inches longer than your own," cried Gaubert, almost in a temper.
"Why not, if I am satisfied?" asked Garnache. "Mine is the longer reach; thus matters will stand equal."
"Equal?" roared Gaubert. "Your longer reach is an advantage that you had from G.o.d, his longer sword is one he had from an armourer. Is that equality?"
"He may have my sword, and I"ll take his," cut in the Italian, also showing impatience. "I too am in haste."
"In haste to die, then," snapped Gaubert.
"Monsieur, this is not seemly," Courthon reproved him.
"You shall teach me manners when we engage," snapped the hawk-faced gentleman.
"Sirs, sirs," Garnache implored them, "are we to waste the day in words?
Monsieur Gaubert, there are several gentlemen yonder wearing swords; I make no doubt that you will find one whose blade is of the same length as your own, sufficiently obliging to lend it to Monsieur Sanguinetti."
"That is an office that my friend can do for me," interposed Sanguinetti, and thereupon Courthon departed, to return presently with a borrowed weapon of the proper length.
At last it seemed that they might proceed with the business upon which they were come; but Garnache was wrong in so supposing. A discussion now arose between Gaubert and Courthon as to the choice of spot. The turf was drenched and slippery, and for all that they moved from place to place testing the ground, their princ.i.p.als following, nowhere could they find the conditions sufficiently improved to decide upon engaging.
To Garnache the utility of this was apparent from the first. If these gentlemen had thought to avoid slippery ground, they should have elected to appoint the meeting elsewhere. But having chosen the Champs aux Capuchins, it was idle to expect that one stretch of turf would prove firmer than another.
Wearied at last by this delay, he gave expression to his thoughts.
"You are quite right, monsieur," said Courthon. "But your second is over-fastidious. It would simplify matters so much if you would remove your boots."
"Look you, sirs," said Garnache, taking a firm stand, "I will engage in my boots and on this very spot or not at all. I have told you that I am in haste. As for the slipperiness of the ground, my opponent will run no greater risks than I. I am not the only impatient one. The spectators are beginning to jeer at us. We shall have every scullion in Gren.o.ble presently saying that we are afraid of one another. Besides which, sirs, I think I am taking cold."
"I am quite of monsieur"s mind, myself," drawled Sanguinetti.
"You hear, sir," exclaimed Courthon, turning to Gaubert. "You can scarce persist in finding objections now."
"Why, since all are satisfied, so be it," said Gaubert, with a shrug. "I sought to do the best for my princ.i.p.al. As it is, I wash my hands of all responsibility, and by all means let us engage, sirs."
They disposed themselves accordingly, Gaubert engaging Courthon, on Garnache"s right hand, and Garnache himself falling on guard to receive the attack of Sanguinetti. The jeers and murmurs that had been rising from the ever-growing crowd that swarmed about the outskirts of the place fell silent as the clatter of meeting swords rang out at last. And then, scarce were they engaged when a voice arose, calling angrily:
"Hold, Sanguinetti! Wait!"
A big, broad-shouldered man, in a suit of homespun and a featherless hat, thrust his way rudely trough the crowd and broke into the s.p.a.ce within the belt of trees. The combatants had fallen apart at this commanding cry, and the newcomer now dashed forward, flushed and out of breath as if with running.
"Vertudieu! Sanguinetti," he swore, and his manner was half-angry, half-bantering; "do you call this friendship?"
"My dear Francois" returned the foreigner, "you arrive most inopportunely."
"And is that all the greeting you have for me?"
Looking more closely, Garnache thought that he recognized in him one of Sanguinetti"s companions of yesternight.
"But do you not see that I am engaged?"
"Ay; and that is my grievance that you should be engaged upon such an affair, and that I should have no share in it. It is to treat me like a lackey, and have the right to feel offended. Enfin! It seems I an not come too late."
Garnache cut in. He saw the drift of the fellow"s intentions, and he was not minded to submit to fresh delays; already more than half an hour was sped since he had left the Sucking Calf. He put it plainly to them that more than enough delay had there been already and he begged the newcomer to stand aside and allow them to terminate the business on which they were met. But Monsieur Francois--as Sanguinetti had called him--would not hear of it. He proved, indeed, a very testy fellow, and he had, moreover, the support of the others, including even Monsieur Gaubert.
"Let me implore you not to spoil sport, sir," the latter begged Garnache. "I have a friend at the inn who would never forgive me if I permitted him to miss such a morning"s diversion as this gentleman is willing to afford him. Suffer me to go for him."
"Look you, sir," answered Garnache sharply, "however you may view this meeting, it is not with me an affair of jest or sport. I am in a quarrel that has been forced upon me, and--"
"Surely not, sir," Courthon interrupted sweetly. "You forget that you rolled Monsieur Sanguinetti in the mud. That is hardly to have a quarrel forced upon you."
Garnache bit his lip to the blood in his vexation.
"However the quarrel may have originated," said Francois, with a great laugh, "I swear that it goes not forward until I am accommodated, too."
"You had better accede, monsieur," murmured Gaubert. "I shall not be gone five minutes, and it will save time in the end."