He considered it a great part of a night, and in the morning
summoned two sympathetic friends.
"I've been thinking it over calmly," he said, gazing at them with
blood-shot, tired eyes. "I see that I must get rid of that intriguing
personage. Here he's managed to sneak on to the personal staff of the
marshal. It's a direct provocation to me. I can't tolerate a situation
in which I am exposed any day to receive an order through him. And God
knows what order, too! That sort of thing has happened once before--and
that's once too often. He understands this perfectly, never fear. I
can't tell you any more. Now you know what it is you have to do."
This encounter took place outside the town of Lubeck, on very open
ground, selected with special care in deference to the general sentiment
of the cavalry division belonging to the army corps, that this time
the two officers should meet on horseback. After all, this duel was a
cavalry affair, and to persist in fighting on foot would look like a
slight on one's own arm of the service.
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