He was introduced into the conclave assembled in the playground of the younger pupils.
There Valence, to whom his comrades had dictated a speech carefully debated among themselves to safeguard the honor of the Grands toward the Petits, assured Louis that he deeply deplored the occurrence; that he had treated him according to his age and not according to his intelligence and courage, and begged him to excuse his impatience and to shake hands in sign that all was forgotten.
But Louis shook his head.
"I heard my father, who is a colonel, say once," he replied, "that he who receives a blow and does not fight is a coward.

The first time I see my father I shall ask him if he who strikes the blow and then apologizes to avoid fighting is not more of a coward than he who received it." The young fellows looked at each other.

Still the general opinion was against a duel which would resemble murder, and all, Bonaparte included, were unanimously agreed that the child must be satisfied with what Valence had said, for it represented their common opinion.

Louis retired, pale with anger, and sulked with his great friend, who, said he, with imperturbable gravity, had sacrificed his honor.
The morrow, while the Grands were receiving their lesson in mathematics, Louis slipped into the recitation-room, and while Valence was making a demonstration on the blackboard, he approached him unperceived, climbed on a stool to reach his face, and returned the slap he had received the preceding day.
"There," said he, "now we are quits, and I have your apologies to boot; as for me, I shan't make any, you may be quite sure of that." The scandal was great.

The act occurring in the professor's presence, he was obliged to report it to the governor of the school, the Marquis Tiburce Valence.