When the man had bowed himself out, and the duke and his visitor were left alone, the former said:
"You know why I have sent for you here. Now what do you advise?"
"You must blow out the man's brains and break the woman's heart," softly and sweetly replied the dandy duellist.
"The question arises whether the man has any brains to blow out, or the woman any heart to break," grimly commented the duke. "However," he added, "you are right, Morris, I must kill the man—divorce the woman. You are with me?"
"To the death," answered the elegant, in the same easy tone in which he ever uttered even the most ferocious words.
"You will take my challenge?"
"With much pleasure."
"I wonder where the fellow is to be found. At the Russian Embassy, I suppose," observed the duke, as he turned to his writing-table.
"No, not there. The Count de Volaski has withdrawn or been dismissed from the Embassy. It is not certainly known which. He is, meanwhile, at the Trois Freres. He has the honor of being my fellow-lodger," suavely observed the colonel.
"There," said the duke, as he folded and directed his note, "no time should be lost in an affair of this sort. It is not yet ten o'clock. You may even deliver this challenge to-night, if you will be so kind."