AS Louis was speaking, the servant announced the Baron¹ Giordano Martelli.  
He was a young Corsican from Sartène. He had served in the 11th Regiment², in which his gallantry had secured him promotion³ at the age of twenty-three.
 
“Well,” he said, after having bowed to me, “so things have come to a crisis, and no doubt you will soon have a visit from the seconds of Monsieur de Chateau⁴ Renaud.”
 
“They have been here already.”
 
“I suppose they have left their names and addresses?”
 
“Here are their cards.”
 
“Good.”
 
“Well, your servant has just told me that breakfast is waiting. Suppose we sit down, and after breakfast we can return their visit.”
 
We entered the salle à manger, and put aside all business for the present.
 
During the meal Louis questioned me closely concerning my journey in Corsica, and I told him all the incidents with which the reader is acquainted. He made me repeat, over and over again, all that his mother and brother had said. He was quite touched, knowing the true Corsican instincts of Lucien, with the care he had taken to reconcile the Orlandi and the Colona.
 
The clock struck twelve.
 
“I do not wish to hurry you, gentlemen,” said Louis, “but I think you should return the visit of those gentlemen. It will not do to put ourselves in the wrong.”
 
“Oh, you may be quite easy on that point,” I said, “we have plenty of time before us.”
 
“No matter,” said the Baron Giordano, “Louis is right.”
 
“Now,” said I, “we must know whether you prefer to fight with sword or pistol?”
 
“Ah,” he replied, “it is all the same to me; I know as little about one as the other. Besides, Monsieur de Chateau Renaud will save me all trouble in choosing; he looks upon himself, no doubt, as the offended party, and as such will retain the choice of weapons.”
 
“However, the offence is doubtful, you only offered your arm, as you were asked to do.”
 
“My opinion is,” said Louis, “that all discussion should tend towards a peaceable arrangement of this matter. My tastes are not warlike, as you know. Far from being a duellist⁶, this is the first affair of the kind I have had, and just for this very reason I wish to come well out of it.”
 
“That is very easy to say, my friend, but you have to play for your life, and you leave to us and before your family the responsibility of the result.”
 
“Ah, as to that you may make your mind quite easy, I know my mother and brother well enough; they ............