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as for the address； I never knew it。。。！ I reflected。 'That；' I said；
'I am unable to do； for special reasons。' 'Aha！' he said； 'reasons
that will prevent our fighting him； I suppose？ 'On the contrary；' I
said。 'I will convey your request to him； I may mention that I have
heard he is the best swordsman and pistol…shot in Europe。 Good…
night！' I wished to give them something to dream of； you
understand。。。。 Patience； my dear！ Patience！ I was； coming to you；
but I thought I would let them sleep on itthere was plenty of time！
But yesterday morning I came into the Place； and there he was on the
bench； with a big dog。 I declare to you he blushed like a young
girl。 'Sir；' he said； 'I was hoping to meet you； last evening I made
a great disturbance。 I took an unpardonable liberty'and he put in
my hand an envelope。 My friend； what do you suppose it containeda
pair of gloves！ Senor Don Punctilioso； hein？ He was the devil； this
friend of yours； he fascinated me with his gentle eyes and his white
moustachettes； his humility； his flamespoor man。。。！ I told him I
had been asked to take him a challenge。 'If anything comes of it；' I
said； 'make use of me！' 'Is that so？' he said。 'I am most grateful
for your kind offer。 Let me seeit is so long since I fought a
duel。 The sooner it's over the better。 Could you arrange to…morrow
morning？ Weapons？ Yes； let them choose。' You see； my friend； there
was no hanging back here； nous voila en train。〃
Jules took out his watch。 〃I have sixteen minutes。 It is lucky for
you that you were away yesterday； or you would be in my shoes now。 I
fixed the place； right hand of the road to Roquebrune； just by the
railway cutting； and the timefive…thirty of the morning。 It was
arranged that I should call for him。 Disgusting hour； I have not
been up so early since I fought Jacques Tirbaut in '85。 At five
o'clock I found him ready and drinking tea with rum in itsingular
man！ he made me have some too； brrr！ He was shaved； and dressed in
that old frock…coat。 His great dog jumped into the carriage； but he
bade her get out； took her paws on his shoulders； and whispered in
her ear some Italian words； a charm； hein！ and back she went； the
tail between the legs。 We drove slowly； so as not to shake his arm。
He was more gay than I。 All the way he talked to me of you： how kind
you were！ how good you had been to him！ 'You do not speak of
yourself！' I said。 'Have you no friends； nothing to say？ Sometimes
an accident will happen！' 'Oh！' he answered； 'there is no danger；
but if by any chancewell； there is a letter in my pocket。' 'And if
you should kill him？' I said。 'But I shall not；' he answered slyly：
'do you think I am going to fire at him？ No； no； he is too young。'
'But；' I said； 'I 'I am not going to stand that！' 'Yes；' he
replied； 'I owe him a shot； but there is no dangernot the least
danger。' We had arrived； already they were there。 Ah bah！ You know
the preliminaries； the politenessthis duelling； you know； it is
absurd； after all。 We placed them at twenty paces。 It is not a bad
place。 There are pine…trees round； and rocks； at that hour it was
cool and grey as a church。 I handed him the pistol。 How can I
describe him to you； standing there； smoothing the barrel with his
fingers！ 'What a beautiful thing a good pistol！' he said。 'Only a
fool or a madman throws away his life；' I said。 'Certainly；' he
replied； 'certainly； but there is no danger；' and he regarded me；
raising his moustachette。
〃There they stood then； back to back； with the mouths of their
pistols to the sky。 ' Un！' I cried； 'deux！ tirez！' They turned； I
saw the smoke of his shot go straight up like a prayer； his pistol
dropped。 I ran to him。 He looked surprised； put out his hand； and
fell into my arms。 He was dead。 Those fools came running up。 'What
is it？' cried one。 I made him a bow。 'As you see；' I said； 'you
have made a pretty shot。 My friend fired in the air。 Messieurs； you
had better breakfast in Italy。' We carried him to the carriage； and
covered him with a rug； the others drove for the frontier。 I brought
him to his room。 Here is his letter。〃 Jules stopped； tears were
running down his face。 〃He is dead； I have closed his eyes。 Look
here； you know； we are all of us cadsit is the rule； but this
this； perhaps； was the exception。〃 And without another word he
rushed away。。。。
Outside the old fellow's lodging a dismounted cocher was standing
disconsolate in the sun。 〃How was I to know they were going to fight
a duel？〃 he burst out on seeing me。 〃He had white hairI call you
to witness he had white hair。 This is bad for me： they will ravish
my licence。 Aha！ you will seethis is bad for me！〃 I gave him the
slip and found my way upstairs。 The old fellow was alone； lying on
the bed； his feet covered with a rug as if he might feel cold； his
eyes were closed； but in this sleep of death； he still had that air
of faint surprise。 At full length； watching the bed intently； Freda
lay； as she lay nightly when he was really asleep。 The shutters were
half open； the room still smelt slightly of rum。 I stood for a long
time looking at the face： the little white fans of moustache brushed
upwards even in death； the hollows in his cheeks； the quiet of his
figure； he was like some old knight。。。。 The dog broke the spell。
She sat up； and resting her paws on the bed； licked his face。 I went
downstairsI couldn't bear to hear her howl。 This was his letter to
me； written in a pointed handwriting：
〃MY DEAR SIR；Should you read this； I shall be gone。 I am ashamed
to trouble youa man should surely manage so as not to give trouble；
and yet I believe you will not consider me importunate。 If； then；
you will pick up the pieces of an old fellow； I ask you to have my
sword； the letter enclosed in this； and the photograph that stands on
the stove buried with me。 My will and the acknowledgments of my
property are between the leaves of the Byron in my tin chest； they
should go to Lucy Toraddress thereon。 Perhaps you will do me the
honour to retain for yourself any of my books that may give you
pleasure。 In the Pilgrim's Progress you will find some excellent
recipes for Turkish coffee； Italian and Spanish dishes； and washing
wounds。 The landlady's daughter speaks Italian； and she would； I
know； like to have Freda； the poor dog will miss me。 I have read of
old Indian warriors taking their horses and dogs with them to the
happy hunting…grounds。 Freda would comenoble animals are dogs！ She
eats once a daya good large mealand requires much salt。 If you
have animals of your own； sir； don't forgetall animals require
salt。 I have no debts； thank God！ The money in my pockets would
bury me decentlynot that there is any danger。 And I am ashamed to
weary you with detailsthe least a man can do is not to make a fuss…
…and yet he must be found ready。Sir； with profound gratitude； your
servant；
〃ROGER BRUNE。〃
Everything was as he had said。 The photograph on the stove was that
of a young girl of nineteen or twenty； dressed in an old…fashioned
style； with hair gathered backward in a knot。 The eyes gazed at you
with a little frown； the lips were tightly closed； the expression of
the face was eager； quick； wilful； and； above all； young。
The tin trunk was scented with dry fragments of some herb； the
history of which in that trunk man knoweth not。。。。 There were a few
clothes； but very few； all older than those he usually wore。 Besides
the Byron and Pilgrim's Progress were Scott's Quentin Durward；
Captain Marryat's Midshipman Easy； a pocket Testament； and a long and
frightfully stiff book on the art of fortifying towns； much thumbed；
and bearing date 1863。 By far the most interesting thing I found；
however； was a diary； kept down to the preceding Christmas。 It was a
pathetic document； full of calculations of the price of meals；
resolutions to be careful over this or that； doubts whether he must
not give up smoking； sentences of fear that Freda had not enough to
eat。 It appeared that he had tried to live on ninety pounds a year；
and send the other hundred pounds home to Lucy for the child； in this
struggle he was always failing； having to send less than the amount…
the entries showed that this was a nightmare to him。 The last words；
written on Christmas Day； were these 〃What is the use of writing
this； since it records nothing but failure！〃
The landlady's daughter and myself were at the funeral。 The same
afternoon I went into the concert…room； where I had spoken to him
first。 When I came out Freda was lying at the entrance； looking into
the faces of every one that passed； and sniffing idly at their heels。
Close by the landlady's daughter hovered； a biscuit in her hand； and
a puzzled； sorry look on her face。
September 1900。
TO
MY BROTHER
HUBERT GALSWORTHY