"I'm not afraid of you," he cried, with frantic
violence. "You have taken advantage of your superior strength--
you are a coward. But this shall not end here. No!--you shall
answer for it. I shall find your address, and to-morrow you will
receive a visit from my friends M. Costard and M. Serpillon. I am
the insulted party--and I choose swords!"
A frightful oath from the baron somewhat hastened M. Wilkie's
exit. He went out into the hall, and holding the door open, in a
way that would enable him to close it at the shortest notice, he
shouted back, so as to be heard by all the servants: "Yes; I will
have satisfaction. I will not stand such treatment. Is it any
fault of mine that Madame d'Argeles is a Chalusse, and that she
wishes to defraud me of my fortune. To-morrow, I call you all to
witness, there will be a lawyer here. You don't frighten me.
Here is my card!" And actually, before he closed the door, he
threw one of his cards into the middle of the room.
The baron did not trouble himself to pick it up; his attention was
devoted to Madame d'Argeles. She was lying back in her arm-chair,
white, motionless and rigid, to all appearance dead. What should
the baron do? He did not wish to call the servants; they had heard
too much already--but he had almost decided to do so, when his
eyes fell upon a tiny aquarium, in a corner of the room.
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