In which two gentlemen of honour, Captain Servadac and Count Timascheff, decide upon a duel following a spirited dispute, choosing a musical disagreement as a courteous pretext to mask the true cause of their contention. Meanwhile, amidst the coastal environs of Mostaganem, the captain applies himself to the delicate art of poetry, endeavouring to express his sincere affections through the quaint form of a rondo.