nine o'clock in
the morning
Imprisoned in Rome by the scantiness of their means , and also by the wishes , the one of his uncle , the other of his grandfather , whose heirs they were , their entire year was summed up in the months which they spent at Nice in the winter , and in the trip they took to Paris at the time of the Grand Prix for six weeks . Jealous one of the other , with the most comical rivalry , of the least occurrence at the ` Cercle des Champs-Elysees ' or of the Rue Royale in the Eternal City , they affected , in the presence of their colleagues of la chasse , the impassive manner of augurs when the telegraph brought them the news of some Parisian scandal . That inoffensive mania which had made of stout , ruddy Cibo , and of thin , pale Pietrapertoso two delightful studies for Dorsenne during his Roman winter , made of them terrible proxies in the service of Gorka 's vengeance . With what joy and what gravity they accepted that mission all those who have studied swordsmen will understand after this simple sketch , and with what promptness they presented themselves to confer at nine o'clock in the morning with their client 's adversary ! In short , at half-past twelve the duel was arranged in its slightest detail . The energy employed by Montfanon had only ended in somewhat tempering the conditions -- four balls to be exchanged at twenty-five paces at the word of command . The duel was fixed for the following morning , in the inclosure which Cibo owned , with an inn adjoining , not very far distant from the classical tomb of Cecilia Metella .