Meanwhile, we had opened his coat and torn away his waistcoat and shirt.
The ball had entered the right side, below the sixth rib, and had come out a little above the left hip.
At each breath the wounded man drew, the blood welled out. It was evident he was mortally hurt.
"M. de Franchi," said the Viscount de Chateaugrand, "we regret extremely the issue of this sad affair. We trust you bear no malice against M. de Chateau Renaud."
"Yes, yes," murmured the wounded man, "I forgive him."
Then turning towards me with an effort he said,
"And now," he said, smiling, "look at the watch!"
He breathed a long sigh, and fell back. That sigh was his last.
I looked at the watch, it was exactly ten minutes past nine.
I turned to Louis de Franchi--he was dead.
We took back the body to the Rue de Helder, and while the Baron went to make the usual declaration to the Commissary of Police, I went upstairs with Joseph.
As I entered, my eyes unconsciously turned towards the timepiece; it marked ten minutes past nine.
No doubt he had forgotten to wind it, and it had stopped at that hour.
The Baron Giordano returned almost immediately with the officers, who put the seals on the property.
The Baron wished to advise the relatives and friends of the affair, but I begged him, before he did so, to read the letter that Louis had handed to him before we set out that morning.
The letter contained his request that the cause of his death should be concealed from his brother, and that his funeral should be as quiet as possible.
The Baron Giordano charged himself with these details, and I sought MM. de Boissy and de Chateaugrand, to request their silence respecting the unhappy affair, and to induce Chateau Renaud to leave Paris for a time, without mentioning my reason for this last suggestion.
They promised me to do all they could to meet my views, and as I walked to Chateau Renaud's house I posted the letter to Madame de Franchi, informing her that her son had died of brain fever.
CONTRARY to custom, the duel was very little talked about; even the papers were silent on the subject.
A few intimate friends followed the body to Père la Chaise. Chateau Renaud refused to quit Paris, although pressed to do so.
At one time I thought of following Louis' letter to Corsica with one from myself, but although my intentions were good, the misleading statements I should have to make were so repugnant to me that I did not do so. Besides, I was quite convinced that Louis himself had fully weighed before he had decided upon his course of action.