Chapter XX

LUCIEN'S appearance created quite a sensation in consequence of his remarkable likeness to his brother.

The news of Louis' death had gone abroad--not, perhaps, in all its details, but it was known, and Lucien's appearance astonished many.

I requested a private room, saying that we were expecting the Baron Giordano, and we got a room at the end.

Lucien began to read the papers carelessly, as if he were oblivious of everything.

While we were seated at breakfast Giordano arrived.

The two young men had not met for four or five years, nevertheless, a firm clasp of the hand was the only demonstration they permitted themselves.

"Well, everything is settled," he said.

"Then M. de Chateau Renaud has accepted?"

"Yes, on condition, however, that after he has fought you he shall be left in peace."

"Oh, he may be quite easy; I am the last of the de Franchi. Have you seen him, or his seconds?"

"I saw him; he will notify MM. de Boissy and de Chateaugrand. The weapons, the hour and the place will be the same."

"Capital, sit down and have some breakfast."

The Baron seated himself, and we spoke on indifferent topics.

After breakfast Lucien begged us to introduce him to the Commissioner of Police, who had sealed up his brother's property, and to the proprietors of the house at which his brother had lived, for he wished to sleep that night, the last night that separated him from his vengeance, in Louis' room.

All these arrangements took up time, so it was not till five o'clock that Lucien entered his brother's apartment. Respecting his grief, we left him there alone.

We had arranged to meet him again next morning at eight o'clock, and he begged me to bring the same pistols, and to buy them if they were for sale.

I went to Devismes and purchased the weapons. Next morning, at eight o'clock I was with Lucien.

When I entered, he was seated writing at the same table, where his brother had sat writing. He smiled when he saw me, but he was very pale.

"Good morning," he said, "I am writing to my mother."

"I hope you will be able to write her a less doleful letter than poor Louis wrote eight days ago."

"I have told her that she may rest happy, for her son is avenged."

"How are you able to speak with such certainty?"

"Did not my brother announce to you his own approaching death? Well, then, I announce to you the death of M. de Chateau Renaud."

He rose as he spoke, and touching me on the temple, said--

"There, that's where I shall put my bullet."

"And yourself?"

"I shall not be touched."

"But, at least, wait for the issue of the duel, before you send your letter."

"It would be perfectly useless."

He rang, the servant appeared.

"Joseph," said he, "take this letter to the post."

"But have you seen your dead brother?"

"Yes," he answered.

It is a very strange thing the occurrence of these two duels so close together, and in each of which one of the two combatants was doomed. While we were talking the Baron Giordano arrived. It was eight o'clock, so we started.

Lucien was very anxious to arrive first, so we were on the field ten minutes before the hour.

Our adversaries arrived at nine o'clock punctually. They came on horseback, followed by a groom also on horseback.

M. de Chateau Renaud had his hand in the breast of his coat. I at first thought he was carrying his arm in a sling.

The gentlemen dismounted twenty paces from us, and gave their bridles to the groom.

Monsieur de Chateau Renaud remained apart, but looked steadfastly at Lucien, and I thought he became paler. He turned aside and amused himself knocking off the little flowers with his riding whip.

"Well, gentlemen, here we are!" said MM. de Chateaugrand and de Boissy, "but you know our conditions. This duel is to be the last, and no matter what the issue may be, M. de Chateau Renaud shall not have to answer to any one for the double result."

"That is understood," we replied. Then Lucien bowed assent.

"You have the weapons, gentlemen?" said the Viscount.

"Here are the same pistols."

"And they are unknown to M. de Franchi?"

"Less known to him than to M. de Chateau Renaud who has already used them once. M. de Franchi has not even seen them."

"That is sufficient, gentlemen. Come, Chateau Renaud!"

We immediately entered the wood, and each one felt, as he revisited the fatal spot, that a tragedy more terrible still was about to be enacted.

We soon arrived in the little dell.

M. de Chateau Renaud, thanks to his great self-command, appeared quite calm, but those who had seen both encounters could appreciate the difference.

From time to time he glanced under his lids at Lucien, and his furtive looks denoted a disquietude approaching to fear.

Perhaps it was the great resemblance between the brothers that struck him, and he thought he saw in Lucien the avenging shade of Louis.

While they were loading the pistols I saw him draw his hand from the breast of his coat. The fingers were enveloped in a handkerchief as if to prevent their twitching.

Lucien waited calmly, like a man who was sure of his vengeance.

Without being told, Lucien walked to the place his brother had occupied, which compelled Chateau Renaud to take up his position as before.

Lucien received his weapon with a joyous smile.

When Chateau Renaud took his pistol he became deadly pale. Then he passed his hand between his cravat and his neck as if he were suffocating.

No one can conceive with what feelings of terror I regarded this young man, handsome, rich, and elegant, who but yesterday believed he had many years still before him, and who to-day, with the sweat on his brow and agony at his heart, felt he was condemned.

"Are you ready, gentlemen?" asked M. de Chateaugrand.

"Yes," replied Lucien.

M. de Chateau Renaud made a sign in the affirmative.

As for me I was obliged to turn away, not daring to look upon the scene.

I heard the two successive clappings of the hands, and at the third the simultaneous reports of the pistols. I turned round.

Chateau Renaud was lying on the ground, stark dead; he had not uttered a sound nor made a movement.

I approached the body, impelled by that invincible curiosity which compels one to see the end of a catastrophe.

The bullet had entered the dead man's temple, at the very spot that Lucien had indicated to me previously.

I ran to him, he was calm and motionless, but seeing me coming towards him he let fall the pistol, and threw himself into my arms.

"Ah, my brother, my poor brother!" he cried as he burst into a passion of sobs.

These were the first tears that the young man had shed.

__________

Woodfall & Kinder, Printers, Milford Lane, Strand, London, W.C.

Transcriber's Note

This transcription is based on images scanned by Google from a copy in the Bodleian Library:

dbooks.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/books/PDFs/590318888.pdf

The scanned images (without the original cover image) are also available through Google:

books.google.com/books?id=g7gNAAAAQAAJ

Variant spellings such as "trowsers" and "examing" have been retained, and in general, inconsistencies of punctuation and italicization were also not changed. However, when the punctuation seemed problematic, a copy of the French text was consulted, and in a few cases the punctuation was changed as noted below. The copy consulted, which was printed in Paris in 1874 by Michel Lévy frères, is posted by the Internet Archive:

archive.org/details/lesfrrescorses01dumagoog

The following changes were noted:

- p. 20: "Yes," he repled, "to a rendezvous."--Changed "repled" to "replied".

- p. 23: "Do you rembember on what occasion?"--Changed "rembember" to "remember".

- p. 32: Two lines of dialogue ("Yes, I." and "Do you wish me to tell you why you have come into this province of Sartène?") have been combined into one line. The French text, which does not have a line break, reads: "Eh! mon Dieu, oui, moi. Voulez-vous que je vous dise ce que vous êtes venu chercher dans la province de Sartène?"

- p. 33: ...you can tell us when you leave, if you wish, if not, you need not inform us...--Changed comma after "wish" to a semicolon in keeping with the French text.

- p. 34: "...The mischief arose between the Orlandi and the Colona.--Added a closing double quotation mark.

- p. 34: ...and flew into that of the Colona."--Deleted closing quotation mark because character continues speaking in the next paragraph.

- p. 35: "...one of these two parties this evening; no doubt?"--Changed semicolon to a comma in keeping with French text.

- p. 44: '"Giudice,' she would say, 'how do you expect...--Reversed order of quotation marks at beginning of sentence.

- p. 71: "Well, then," said he, "let us embrace. I can only deliver that which I am able to receive."--The quoted dialogue appears to be spoken by the narrator even though the translation ascribes it to Lucien. The French text reads: "Eh bien, alors, embrassons-nous; je ne puis rendre que ce que j'aurai reçu." The dialogue tag "said he" and the punctuation marks used to set off the dialogue tag have been deleted so that the translation more accurately reflects the French text.

- p. 76: "Then" I continued...--Inserted a comma after "Then".

- p. 78: "Well."--Changed period to a question mark in keeping with the French text.

- p. 78: "At what time."--Changed period to a question mark in keeping with the French text.

- p. 84: "What is the point then."--Changed period to a question mark in keeping with the French text.

- p. 84: "But surely you have some reason to give for your change of opinion? just now you were insisting..."--Changed question mark to a semicolon in keeping with French text.

- p. 84: "I did not then know that we should meet Chateau Renaud,"--Changed comma to a period.

- p. 87: ...replied V----. There are so...--Inserted an opening double quotation mark before "There".

- p. 94: "M. de Cahteau Renaud is quite a man of the world...--Changed "Cahteau" to "Chateau".

- p. 96: "...you had never handled a sword or a pistol.--Added a closing quotation mark.

- p. 97: We entered the _Salle à manger,_ and put aside...--Changed _Salle_ to all lower case to be consistent with elsewhere in the text.

- p. 99: "Well, if they propose pistols, accept them at once?"--Changed question mark to a period in keeping with French text.

- p. 104: ...and said, 'You are welcome, father.'"--Deleted closing quotation mark because character continues speaking in the next paragraph.

- p. 106: "Just so," and if he is killed in his turn...--Deleted closing double quotation mark after "so,".

- p. 107: ...so we shall be obliged to get a case of pistols from Devisme.--Added closing quotation mark to end of sentence.

- p. 120: ...nor was there any trace of the body on the bed,--Changed comma at end of sentence to a period.

- p. 121: Lucien eat like a man...--Changed "eat" to "ate".

- p. 124: The two young men had not met for four or five years, nevertheless, a firm clasp...--Changed comma after "years" to a semicolon in keeping with French text.

- p. 125: "And yourself."--Changed period to a question mark in keeping with French text.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Corsican Brothers, by Alexandre Dumas