“Allow me to say that I consider such levity unbecoming a gentleman. If your principal has given you instructions suited to an affair of honour, I am here to receive them.”
“Exactly! I don’t know what your customs are here, but in England we do not repeat our conditions more than once.”
The Corsican was evidently impressed by the bluntness and directness of the Englishman’s speech.
“Pardon me,” said he, “but I did not understand what weapons had been selected by the challenged party.”
“I thought I described them sufficiently,” said the Admiral. “I said axes,—ordinary common woodsmen’s axes—the sharper the better.”
“And the place?” queried M. Villefort.
“If you will step to the window,” said the Admiral, “I will show you. Do you see that old shed on the lefthand side of the road? That is the place selected by Lieutenant Duquesne. Time, midnight to-morrow night, the room to be in utter darkness, and the fight to last five minutes. Do I make myself understood?”
“Perfectly, monsieur,” responded M. Villefort, “but I doubt very much if the Count will condescend to accept such ridiculous terms. Did you say that the room was to be dark?”
“Yes,” replied the Admiral; “the Lieutenant says the windows are boarded up tightly and not a ray of light enters even in the daytime. I confess that they are the most re-mark-a-ble instructions I ever received. They quite stagger me, they do, indeed. But my principal says he will not change them.”
“I will report the result of my mission to Count Mont d’Oro. If he refuses to accept the terms——”