Why certain encounters have become
celebrated and others are suffered to bo al
most forgotten would make n curiou
study. .Sueli is the fact, however. Some
times the duel is connected with a joke,
as that of Sainte-Beuve and Dubois, when
the popularity becomes more understand
able.
It was at flic time when Sainte-Beuvi
was writing in The Globe and Dubois was
one of the stockholders. The latter took
offense at the political tendencies which
the celebrated writer was giving to tin
paper. “Vivacious injuries” were ex
changed by pen and word of mouth, and a
meet ing was judged necessary.
On arriving at the meeting place Saint e
Beuve was seen to be carrying a pair ol
flintlock pistols of the sixteenth century,
while sheltering himself under an timbrel
la. It was ruining steadily. Sainte-Beuve
continued to hold up ins umbrella even b
the moment when the word of “Fire!”
was to tie given. The witnesses protested
Sainte-Bueve insisted.
“lam willing to be killed," ho said,
“but 1 am not willing to catch a cold in
the head."
They were forced to accept the condl
tlon, and the great writer shot from undet
his umbrella. Four balls were exchanged
without result. Later on, when Saints;
Beuve had rallied to the empire of Napo
leon 111, while remaining faithful to “lib
erty of thought,” ho did not hesitate to de
fend Ids beliefs in the French senate. One
of his colleagues, Lacaze, considered him
self offended and provoked a duel. But
the friend of the Princess Mathilde wittily
refused to fight, except with the arm with
which lie was most familiar —the pen.
