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The Vicomte De Bragelonne
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The Vicomte De Bragelonne 409 at Prostate Health
Guiche, "and you have done
no more than you are entitled to do."
"Now," said De Wardes, "I beg you to have the goodness to help me to
mount; for I still experience a little difficulty in doing so."
"In that case, we had better settle the matter on foot."
"No; once in the saddle, I shall be all right."
"Very good, then; so we will not speak of it again," said De Guiche, as
he assisted De Wardes to mount his horse.
"And now," continued the young man, "in our eagerness to kill each
other, we have neglected one circumstance."
"What is that?"
"That it is quite dark, and we shall almost be obliged to grope about,
in order to kill each other."
"Oh!" said De Guiche, "you are as anxious as I am that everything should
be done in proper order."
"Yes; but I do not wish people to say that you have assassinated me, any
more than, supposing I were to kill you, I should myself like to be
accused of such a crime."
"Did any one make a similar remark about your duel with the Duke of
Buckingham?" said De Guiche, "it took place precisely under the same
conditions as ours."
"Very true; but there was still light enough to see by; and we were up
to our middles, almost, in the water; besides, there were a good number
of spectators on shore, looking at us."
De Guiche reflected for a moment; and the thought which had already
presented itself to him became more confirmed--that De Wardes wished to
have witnesses present, in order to bring back the conversation about
Madame, and to give a new turn to the combat. He avoided saying a word
in reply, therefore: and, as De Wardes once more looked at him
interrogatively, he replied, by a movement of the head, that it would be
best to let things remain as they were. The two adversaries consequently
set off, and left the chateau by the same gate, close to which we may
remember to have seen Montalais and Malicorne together. The night, as if
to counteract the extreme heat of the day, had gathered the clouds
together in masses which were moving slowly along from the west to the
east. The vault above, without a clear spot anywhere visible, or without
the faintest indication of thunder, seemed to hang heavily over the
earth, and soon began, by the force of the wind, to be split up into
fragments, like a huge sheet torn into shreds. Large and warm drops of
rain began to fall heavily, and gathered the dust into globules, which
rolled along the ground. At the same time, the hedges, which seemed
conscious of the approaching storm, the thirsty plants, the drooping
branches of the trees, exhaled a thousand aromatic odors, which revived
in the mind tender recollections, thoughts of youth, endless life,
happiness, and love. "How fresh the earth smells," said De Wardes; "it
is a piece of coquetry of hers to draw us to her."
"By-the-by," replied De Guiche, "several ideas have just occurred to me;
and I wish to have your opinion upon them."
"Relative to?"
"Relative to our engagement."
"It is quite time, in fact, that we should begin to arrange matters."
"It is to be an ordinary combat, and conducted according to established
custom?"
"Let me first know what your established custom is."
"That we dismount in any particular plain that may suit us, then fasten
our horses to the nearest object, meet each without our pistols in our
hands, afterward retire for a hundred and fifty paces, in order to
advance on each other."
"Very good: that is precisely the way in which I killed poor Follinent
three weeks ago, at Saint-Denis."
"I beg your pardon, but you forget one circumstance."
"What is that?"
"That in your duel with Follinent you advanced toward each other on
foot, your swords between your teeth, and your pistols in your hands."
"True."
"While now, on the contrary, as I cannot walk, you yourself admit that
we shall have to mount our horses again and charge; and the first who
wishes to fire will do so."
"That is the best course, no doubt; but it is quite dark; we must make
allowance for more missed shots than would be the case in the daytime."
"Very well; each will fire three times; the pair of pistols already
loaded, and one reload."
"Excellent! Where shall our engagement take place?"
"Have you any preference?"
"No."
"You see that small wood which lies before us?"
"The wood which is called Rochin?"
"Exactly."
"You know it, then?"
"Perfectly."
"You know that there
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