THE MODERN DON QUIXOTE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 189, 8 August 1908, Page 15

THE MODERN DON QUIXOTE.

AMUSING FRENCH DUEL. Romance will never <Ue while narou Lonta d'Harcourt and tlio Duquo iVAlbuquerque live. The latter published In n French paper it novel. In which, according to' Baron d'Harcourt. "attacks were made upon the Queen of Portugal of so gross n nature that they cannot be reproduced." The norel nroused the indignation both of tile baron and of n well-known fencer. M. George* Breittmayer Neither of them is Portuguese, but champions every royal lady whea' necessory. M. Breittmayer wrote to the dnke, who Is a Portuguese, nnd a descendant of one of \, the most famous noble families of Portugal:— Sir, —Hitherto you were content to malign the dead. Now yon grossly Insult a woman. and a Frenchwoman. You are the lowest of cowards.—Georges Breittmayer. * This, indeed, is the ringing note of tomance in nn ironNage. The Duke was not backward. Showing the letter to his friend*. ' he exclaimed. "I will kill the man, either with sword or with pistol. I will bleed him like the pig he ie. Or, if he refuses to fight, I will horsewhip him first, to blow his brains out afterwards." But suddenly a. scruple of etiquette overcame the Diike. M. Briettmnyer is a plebeian. Could the Duke of Albuquerque fight him? He decided that he could not, and wrote to that effect. Then it was that the other Queen's boy, Baron Louis d'Harcourt, stepped into the lists. Let us not j argue, he wrote. If all M. d'Albuquerque wants is a French nobleman •. , to cross swords with him, he will find one without having to look for him. I take up the gauntlet which he easts In the face of French nrlstocarey, and I hope he will not dispute my right to do so. He did not, for a duke can fight a baron. They met with swords, and it was a nob.'c encounter. "M. d'Harcourt had a fine air, with his tall figure and determined mien," says one of the seconds, describing the duel. His adversary had the attitude ot a gentleman ready to do his duty. One had the iuipresion that a beautiful duel would bo witnessed." At the start the Duke "supple and pantehrlike." attacked, while the Baron withstood it "with a firm foot." The only thing that happened, however, wap that the Baron's sleeve was pierced. I n the second ■ bout the Baron attacked and soon hit his adversary in the right shoulder. The doctors agreed that the encounter could no lenger go ou. The directors of the dnel said, "Gentlemen, the combat is over, and I congratulate both combatants on the courage which they have displayed." The Baron ''■ merely answered, "Lire the Queen" Iα & ■'•J'4 voice, aEd..tUe,r>n>» . MOA.jr-*>*"«.