“Why, Mr. Herder!” Rose repeated.  “I didn’t think you would do such a thing.”

“Everybody fight in Germany,” said the naturalist; “they all fight at the Universites —­ they must fight.  I found the only way was to make myself so good swordsman that I should be safe.”

“And have you fought many duels?” said Elizabeth.

“Yes —­ I have fought —­ I have been obliged by circumstances to fight a good many. —­ I have seen two hundred.”

“Two hundred duels, Mr. Herder!”

“Yes. —­ I have seen four men killed.”

“Were you ever hurt, Mr. Herder?” said Rose.

“No —­ I never was wounded.  I saw how it was —­ that the only thing to do was to excel ozers; so as in ozer things, I did in this.”

“But how came you, who love men so well, to have so much to do with hurting them, Mr. Herder?”

“You cannot help it, Miss Elisabet’,” said the naturalist.  “They fight for nozing —­ they fight for nozing.  I never asked one, but I have been oblige to fight a good many.  The students make themselves into clubs; and the way is, when two students of different clubs, get in a quarrel, their presidents must fight it out; —­ so they meet people in duels that they have never spoken to, nor seen.  I will give you an instance. —­ One of these fellows —­ a great fighter —­ he had fought perhaps forty times, —­ he was bragging about it; ’he had fought such one and such one,’ he said; —­ ’perhaps he ought to have fought Herder, in order to say that he was the best man with the sword of all the German students, —­ perhaps he ought to have met Herder, but he didn’t care about it!’ And a young fellow that heard him, that was by, he took it up; ‘Sir,’ said he, ’Herder is my friend —­ you must fight him —­ come to my room to-morrow morning at seven o’clock —­ he will meet you;’ —­ ‘very well,’ they agree upon the matter togezer.  The next morning he come bouncing into my room at a quarter after seven —­ ’Herder!  Herder! come on! —­ Lessing is waiting to fight you in my room.’ —­ ‘What is the matter?’ —­ ’O, Lessing said so and so, and I told him you would fight him at seven, and it is a quarter past’ —­ ’Well, you tell him I didn’t know of this, I am not keeping him waiting; I will come directly.’ —­ I was not up.  So I got myself dressed, and in ten minutes I was there.  A duel is finished when they have given twelve blows” —­

“Twelve on each side, Mr. Herder?”

“Yes —­ when they have both of them given twelve blows apiece.  Before we begun, Lessing and me, I whispered to somebody who stood there, that I would not touch him unless he touched me; and then I would give it to him in the ribs.  I received ten blows on my arm, which is covered wiz a long glove; the eleven, he cut my waistcoat —­ I had one blow left, and I gave it to him in the ribs so long —­”

Mr. Herder’s words were filled out by the position of his fore fingers, which at this juncture were held some seven or eight inches apart.