A Hero of Our Time [71]
he added, straightening up his stooping figure.
"Ah! So it was you whose head I struck so clumsily?" . . .
He turned yellow in the face, then blue; sup- pressed rage was portrayed upon his counte- nance.
"I shall have the honour to send my second to you to-day," I added, bowing adieu to him very politely, without appearing to have noticed his fury.
On the restaurant-steps I met Vera's husband. Apparently he had been waiting for me.
He seized my hand with a feeling akin to rapture.
"Noble young man!" he said, with tears in his eyes. "I have heard everything. What a scoun- drel! Ingrate! . . . Just fancy such people being admitted into a decent household after this! Thank God I have no daughters! But she for whom you are risking your life will reward you. Be assured of my constant discretion," he continued. "I have been young myself and have served in the army: I know that these affairs must take their course. Good-bye."
Poor fellow! He is glad that he has no daughters! . . .
I went straight to Werner, found him at home, and told him the whole story -- my relations with Vera and Princess Mary, and the conversation which I had overheard and from which I had learned the intention of these gentlemen to make a fool of me by causing me to fight a duel with blank cartridges. But, now, the affair had gone beyond the bounds of jest; they probably had not expected that it would turn out like this.
The doctor consented to be my second; I gave him a few directions with regard to the condi- tions of the duel. He was to insist upon the affair being managed with all possible secrecy, be- cause, although I am prepared, at any moment, to face death, I am not in the least disposed to spoil for all time my future in this world.
After that I went home. In an hour's time the doctor returned from his expedition.
"There is indeed a conspiracy against you," he said. "I found the captain of dragoons at Grush- nitski's, together with another gentleman whose surname I do not remember. I stopped a moment in the ante-room, in order to take off my goloshes. They were squabbling and making a terrible up- roar. 'On no account will I agree,' Grushnitski was saying: 'he has insulted me publicly; it was quite a different thing before' . . .
"'What does it matter to you?' answered the captain. 'I will take it all upon myself. I have been second in five duels, and I should think I know how to arrange the affair. I have thought it all out. Just let me alone, please. It is not a bad thing to give people a bit of a fright. And why expose yourself to danger if it is possible to avoid it?' . . .
"At that moment I entered the room. They suddenly fell silent. Our negotiations were some- what protracted. At length we decided the matter as follows: about five versts from here there is a hollow gorge; they will ride thither to- morrow at four o'clock in the morning, and we shall leave half an hour later. You will fire at six paces -- Grushnitski himself demanded that con- dition. Whichever of you is killed -- his death will be put down to the account of the Circas- sians. And now I must tell you what I suspect: they, that is to say the seconds, may have made some change in their former plan and may want to load only Grushnitski's pistol. That is some- thing like murder, but in time of war, and espe- cially in Asiatic warfare, such tricks are allowed. Grushnitski, however, seems to be a little more magnanimous than his companions. What do you think? Ought we not to let them see that we have guessed their plan?"
"Not on any account, doctor! Make your mind easy; I will not give in to them."
"But what are you going to do, then?"
"That is my secret."
"Mind you are not caught . . . six paces, you know!"
"Doctor, I shall expect you to-morrow at four o'clock. The horses will be ready . . . Good- bye."
I remained in the house until the evening, with my door locked. A manservant came to invite me to Princess Ligovski's -- I bade him say that I was ill.
. . .
"Ah! So it was you whose head I struck so clumsily?" . . .
He turned yellow in the face, then blue; sup- pressed rage was portrayed upon his counte- nance.
"I shall have the honour to send my second to you to-day," I added, bowing adieu to him very politely, without appearing to have noticed his fury.
On the restaurant-steps I met Vera's husband. Apparently he had been waiting for me.
He seized my hand with a feeling akin to rapture.
"Noble young man!" he said, with tears in his eyes. "I have heard everything. What a scoun- drel! Ingrate! . . . Just fancy such people being admitted into a decent household after this! Thank God I have no daughters! But she for whom you are risking your life will reward you. Be assured of my constant discretion," he continued. "I have been young myself and have served in the army: I know that these affairs must take their course. Good-bye."
Poor fellow! He is glad that he has no daughters! . . .
I went straight to Werner, found him at home, and told him the whole story -- my relations with Vera and Princess Mary, and the conversation which I had overheard and from which I had learned the intention of these gentlemen to make a fool of me by causing me to fight a duel with blank cartridges. But, now, the affair had gone beyond the bounds of jest; they probably had not expected that it would turn out like this.
The doctor consented to be my second; I gave him a few directions with regard to the condi- tions of the duel. He was to insist upon the affair being managed with all possible secrecy, be- cause, although I am prepared, at any moment, to face death, I am not in the least disposed to spoil for all time my future in this world.
After that I went home. In an hour's time the doctor returned from his expedition.
"There is indeed a conspiracy against you," he said. "I found the captain of dragoons at Grush- nitski's, together with another gentleman whose surname I do not remember. I stopped a moment in the ante-room, in order to take off my goloshes. They were squabbling and making a terrible up- roar. 'On no account will I agree,' Grushnitski was saying: 'he has insulted me publicly; it was quite a different thing before' . . .
"'What does it matter to you?' answered the captain. 'I will take it all upon myself. I have been second in five duels, and I should think I know how to arrange the affair. I have thought it all out. Just let me alone, please. It is not a bad thing to give people a bit of a fright. And why expose yourself to danger if it is possible to avoid it?' . . .
"At that moment I entered the room. They suddenly fell silent. Our negotiations were some- what protracted. At length we decided the matter as follows: about five versts from here there is a hollow gorge; they will ride thither to- morrow at four o'clock in the morning, and we shall leave half an hour later. You will fire at six paces -- Grushnitski himself demanded that con- dition. Whichever of you is killed -- his death will be put down to the account of the Circas- sians. And now I must tell you what I suspect: they, that is to say the seconds, may have made some change in their former plan and may want to load only Grushnitski's pistol. That is some- thing like murder, but in time of war, and espe- cially in Asiatic warfare, such tricks are allowed. Grushnitski, however, seems to be a little more magnanimous than his companions. What do you think? Ought we not to let them see that we have guessed their plan?"
"Not on any account, doctor! Make your mind easy; I will not give in to them."
"But what are you going to do, then?"
"That is my secret."
"Mind you are not caught . . . six paces, you know!"
"Doctor, I shall expect you to-morrow at four o'clock. The horses will be ready . . . Good- bye."
I remained in the house until the evening, with my door locked. A manservant came to invite me to Princess Ligovski's -- I bade him say that I was ill.
. . .