A Duel with an End

           Charles’sabsencegaveDuroyamoreimportantpositionon"LaVieFrancaise."Onlyonematterarosetoannoyhim,otherwisehisskywascloudless.

           Aninsignificantpaper,"LaPlume,"attackedhimconstantly,orratherattackedtheeditorofthe"Echoes"of"LaVieFrancaise."

           JacquesRivalsaidtohimoneday:"Youareveryforbearing."

           "WhatshouldIdo?Itisnodirectattack."

           But,oneafternoonwhenheenteredtheoffice,Boisrenardhandedhimanumberof"LaPlume."

           "See,hereisanotherunpleasantremarkforyou."

           "Relativetowhat?"

           "TothearrestofoneDameAubert."

           Georgestookthepaperandreadascathingpersonaldenunciation.Duroy,itseems,hadwrittenanitemclaimingthatDameAubertwho,astheeditorof"LaPlume,"claimed,hadbeenputunderarrest,wasamyth.ThelatterretaliatedbyaccusingDuroyofreceivingbribesandofsuppressingmatterthatshouldbepublished.

           AsSaint-Potinentered,Duroyaskedhim:"Haveyouseentheparagraphin‘LaPlume’?"

           "Yes,andIhavejustcomefromDameAubert’s;sheisnomyth,butshehasnotbeenarrested;thatreporthasnofoundation."

           DuroywentatoncetoM.Walter’soffice.Afterhearingthecase,themanagerbadehimgotothewoman’shousehimself,findoutthedetails,andreply,tothearticle.