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‘You are, as I understand, a good swordsman?’ said he.

‘Tolerable, sire,’ I answered.

‘You were chosen by your regiment to fight the champion of the Hussars of Chambarant?’ said he.

I was not sorry to find that he knew so much of my exploits.

‘My comrades, sire, did me that honour,’ said I.

‘And for the sake of practice you insulted six fencing masters in the week before your duel?’

‘I had the privilege of being out seven times in as many days, sire,’ said I.

‘And escaped without a scratch?’

‘The fencing master of the 23rd Light Infantry touched me on the left elbow, sire.’

‘Let us have no more child’s play of the sort, monsieur,’ he cried, turning suddenly to that cold rage of his which was so appalling. ‘Do you imagine that I place veteran soldiers in these positions that you may practise quarte and tierce upon them? How am I to face Europe if my soldiers turn their points upon each other? Another word of your duelling, and I break you between these fingers.’

I saw his plump white hands flash before my eyes as he spoke, and his voice had turned to the most discordant hissing and growling. My word, my skin pringled all over as I listened to him, and I would gladly have changed my position for that of the first man in the steepest and narrowest breach that ever swallowed up a storming party. He turned to the table, drank off a cup of coffee, and then when he faced me again every trace of this storm had vanished, and he wore that singular smile which came from his lips but never from his eyes.

‘I have need of your services, Monsieur Gerard,’ said he. ‘I may be safer with a good sword at my side, and there are reasons why yours should be the one which I select. But first of all I must bind you to secrecy. Whilst I live what passes between us today must be known to none but ourselves.’

I thought of Talleyrand and of Lasalle, but I promised.

‘In the next place, I do not want your opinions or conjectures, and I wish you to do exactly what you are told.’

I bowed.

‘It is your sword that I need, and not your brains. I will do the thinking. Is that clear to you?’

‘Yes, sire.’

‘You know the Chancellor’s Grove, in the forest?’

I bowed.

‘You know also the large double fir-tree where the hounds assembled on Tuesday?’

Had he known that I met a girl under it three times a week, he would not have asked me. I bowed once more without remark.

‘Very good. You will meet me there at ten o’clock tonight.’

I had got past being surprised at anything which might happen. If he had asked me to take his place upon the imperial throne I could only have nodded my busby.

‘We shall then proceed into the wood together,’ said the Emperor. ‘You will be armed with a sword, but not with pistols. You must address no remark to me, and I shall say nothing to you. We will advance in silence. You understand?’

‘I understand, sire.’

‘After a time we shall see a man, or more probably two men, under a certain tree. We shall approach them together. If I signal to you to defend me, you will have your sword ready. If, on the other hand, I speak to these men, you will wait and see what happens. If you are called upon to draw, you must see that neither of them, in the event of there being two, escapes from us. I shall myself assist you.’

‘Sire,’ I cried, ‘I have no doubt that two would not be too many for my sword; but would it not be better that I should bring a comrade than that you should be forced to join in such a struggle?’

‘Ta, ta, ta,’ said he. ‘I was a soldier before I was an Emperor. Do you think, then, that artillerymen have not swords as well as the hussars? But I ordered you not to argue with me. You will do exactly what I tell you. If swords are once out, neither of these men is to get away alive.’