XL
"Murder is the name for affairs of this kind," M. Barousse was saying to Denoisel as they followed the hearse to the cemetery. "Why didn't you arrange matters between them?"
"After that blow?"
"After or before," said M. Barousse, peremptorily.
"You'd better say that to his father!"
"He's a soldier—but you, hang it all—you've never served in the army, and you let him get killed! I consider you killed him."
"Look here, I've had enough, M. Barousse."
"You see, I reason things out; I've been a magistrate."—Barousse had been a judge on the Board of Trade.—"You have the law courts and you can demand justice. But duels are contrary to all laws, human or divine; remember that. Why, just fancy—a scoundrel comes and gives me a blow in the face; and he must needs kill me as well. Ah, I can promise you one thing: if ever I'm on a jury, and there's a case of a duel—well, I look upon it as murder. Duellists are assassins. In the first place it's a cowardly thing——"
"A cowardly thing that every one hasn't the courage to carry through, M. Barousse; it's like suicide."