I sent him a card with a
few kind words, and received it back with an insult--deep and
damning--scrawled upon it. It was not written, however, in the
hand of Le Gardeur, although signed by his name. Read that, your
Excellency," said he, throwing a card to the Count. "I will not
repeat the foul expressions it contains. Tell Pierre Philibert what
he should do to save his honor and save his friend. Poor, wild,
infatuated Le Gardeur never wrote that--never! They have made him
sign his name to he knew not what."
"And, by St. Martin!" exclaimed La Corne, who looked at the card,
"some of them shall bite dust for that! As for Le Gardeur, poor
boy, overlook his fault--pity him, forgive him. He is not so much
to blame, Pierre, as those plundering thieves of the Friponne, who
shall find that La Corne St. Luc's sword is longer by half an ell
than is good for some of their stomachs!"
"Forbear, dear friends," said the Bishop; "it is not the way of
Christians to talk thus."
"But it is the way of gentlemen!" replied La Corne, impatiently,
"and I always hold that a true gentleman is a true Christian.
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