“I have already received visits from them,” said Florent.  “Half an hour ago.  One is Prince d’Ardea.”

“He is a gentleman,” replied Montfanon.  “I shall not be sorry to see him to tell him my feelings with regard to the public sale of his palace, to which he should never have allowed himself to be driven....  And the other?”

“The other?” interrupted Dorsenne.  “Prepare yourself for a blow....  I swear to you I did not know his name when I went in search of you at the catacomb.  It is—­in short—­it is Baron Hafner.”

“Baron Hafner!” exclaimed Montfanon.  “Boleslas Gorka, the descendant of the Gorkas, of that grand Luc Gorka who was Palatine of Posen and Bishop of Cujavie, has chosen for his second Monsieur Justus Hafner, the thief, the scoundrel, who had the disgraceful suit!....  No, Dorsenne, do not tell me that; it is not possible.”  Then, with the air of a combatant:  “We will challenge him; that is all, for his lack of honor.  I take it upon myself, as well as to tell of his deeds to Boleslas.  We will spend an enjoyable quarter of an hour there, I promise you.”

“You will not do that,” said Dorsenne, quickly.  “First, with regard to official honor, there is only one law, is there not?  Hafner was acquitted and his adversaries condemned.  You told me so the other day....  And then, you forget the conversation we just had.”

“Pardon,” interrupted Florent, in his turn.  “Monsieur de Montfanon, in promising to assist me, has done me a great honor, which I shall never forget.  If there should result from it any annoyance to him I should be deeply grieved, and I am ready to release him from his promise.”

“No,” said the Marquis, after another silence.  “I will not take it back."....  He was so magnanimous when his two or three hobbies were not involved that the slightest delicacy awoke an echo in him.  He again extended his hand to Chapron and continued, but with an accent which betrayed suppressed irritation:  “After all, it does not concern us if Monsieur Gorka has chosen to be represented in an affair of honor by one whom he should not even salute....  You will, then, give our two names to those two gentlemen.... and Dorsenne and I will await them, as is the rule....  It is their place to come, since they are the proxies of the person insulted.”

“They have already arranged a meeting for this evening,” replied Chapron.

“What’s arranged?  With whom?  For whom?” exclaimed Montfanon, a prey to a fresh access of choler.  “With you?....  For us?....  Ah, I do not like such conduct where such grave matters are concerned....  The code is absolute on that subject....  Their challenge once made, to which you, Monsieur Chapron, have to reply by yes or no, these gentlemen should withdraw immediately....  It is not your fault, it is Ardea’s, who has allowed that dabbler in spurious dividends to perform his part of intriguer....  But we will rectify all in the right way, which is the French....  And where is the rendezvous?”