"No, I know a good deal more than I knew then, Chavigny. There were
few days when we were in winter quarters that I had not an hour's
work in the fencing school with the officers of my regiment, and
whenever I heard that there was a professor of the art I have never
failed to frequent his salon and to learn his favourite strokes."

"That is all right, then. We need have no fear whatever as to the
result."

They reached the point fixed upon a minute or two before the clock
struck, and just as it chimed de Beauvais and his friends made
their appearance. The seconds exchanged a few words and selected a
piece of ground for the encounter, the principals at once removed
their doublets and faced each other.

"This is a duel a la mort," de Beauvais said in a loud voice.

"For that I am quite prepared," Hector said quietly; "but you are
likely to find, Monsieur de Beauvais, that it is not so easy a
thing to kill the colonel of one of her majesty's regiments as it
is to stab a churchman in his carriage."

De Beauvais at once took up his position, and, without the parade
of courtesy that usually preceded an encounter, fell furiously upon
Hector. The latter did not give way a step. With a wrist of iron he
put aside half a dozen thrusts, and then lunging, ran de Beauvais
through the body, his sword hilt striking against his adversary's
chest.

De Beauvais' two seconds ran forward as their principal fell. "He