"How fresh the earth smells," said De Wardes; "it is a piece of coquetry of hers to draw us to her." "By-the-by," replied De Guiche, "several ideas have just occurred to me; and I wish to have your opinion upon them." "Relative to ?" "Relative to our engagement." "It is quite time, in fact, that we should begin to arrange matters." "It is to be an ordinary combat, and conducted according to established custom ?" "Let me first know what your established custom is." "That we dismount in any particular plain that may suit us, then fasten our horses to the nearest object, meet each without our pistols in our hands, afterward retire for a hundred and fifty paces, in order to advance on each other." "Very good: that is precisely the way in which I killed poor Follinent three weeks ago, at Saint-Denis." "I beg your pardon, but you forget one circumstance." "What is that ?" "That in your duel with Follinent you advanced toward each other on foot, your swords between your teeth, and your pistols in your hands." "True." "While now, on the contrary, as I cannot walk, you yourself admit that we shall have to mount our horses again and charge; and the first who wishes to fire will do so." "That is the best course, no doubt; but it is quite dark; we must make allowance for more missed shots than would be the case in the daytime." "Very well; each will fire three times; the pair of pistols already loaded, and one reload." "Excellent! Where shall our engagement take place ?" "Have you any preference ?" "No." "You see that small wood which lies before us ?" "The wood which is called Rochin ?" "Exactly." "You know it, then ?" "Perfectly." "You know that there is an open glade in the center ?" "Yes." "Well, this glade is admirably adapted for such a purpose, with a variety of roads, by-places, paths, ditches, windings, and avenues.

We could not find a better spot." "I am perfectly satisfied, if you are so.

We have arrived, if I am not mistaken." "Yes.

Look at the beautiful open space in the center.

The faint light which the stars afford seems concentrated in this spot; the woods which surround it seem, with their barriers, to form its natural limits." "Very good.