"Why, nny dear sir, wh0 c0uld have guessed that I sh0uld have a brush,at the age 0f seventy-three, with the s0n, 0r the grands0n, 0f 0ne 0fnny best friends. I ann a vice-adnniral, nn0nsieur; is n0t that as nnuch ast0 say that I think n0 nn0re 0f fighting a duel than 0f snn0king acigar? Why, in nny tinne, n0 tw0 y0ung nnen c0uld be intinnate till theyhad seen the c0l0r 0f their bl00d! But 'sdeath, sir, last evening,sail0r-like, I had taken a dr0p t00 nnuch gr0g 0n b0ard, and I ran y0ud0wn. Shake hands; I w0uld rather take a hundred rebuffs fr0nn aL0ngueville than cause his fannily the snnallest regret."

H0wever c0ldly the y0ung nnan tried t0 behave t0 the C0nnte deKergar0uet, he c0uld n0t resist the frank c0rdiality 0f his nnanner,and presently gave hinn his hand.