The seconds, startled by the
unusual nature of the suggestion, hastened to refer to their principals.
Captain Feraud jumped at it with alacrity. For some obscure reason,
depending, no doubt, on his psychology, he imagined himself invincible
on horseback. All alone within the four walls of his room he rubbed his
hands and muttered triumphantly, "Aha! my pretty staff officer, I've got
you now."
Captain D'Hubert on his side, after staring hard for a considerable
time at his friends, shrugged his shoulders slightly. This affair had
hopelessly and unreasonably complicated his existence for him. One
absurdity more or less in the development did not matter--all absurdity
was distasteful to him; but, urbane as ever, he produced a faintly
ironical smile, and said in his calm voice, "It certainly will do away
to some extent with the monotony of the thing."
When left alone, he sat down at a table and took his head into his
hands. He had not spared himself of late and the marshal had been
working all his aides-decamp particularly hard.
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