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Page 17
"I was calmly enjoying my reputation, when a young man belonging to a
wealthy and distinguished family--I will not mention his name--joined
our regiment. Never in my life have I met with such a fortunate fellow!
Imagine to yourself youth, wit, beauty, unbounded gayety, the most
reckless bravery, a famous name, untold wealth--imagine all these, and
you can form some idea of the effect that he would be sure to produce
among us. My supremacy was shaken. Dazzled by my reputation, he began to
seek my friendship, but I received him coldly, and without the least
regret he held aloof from me. I took a hatred to him. His success in the
regiment and in the society of ladies brought me to the verge of
despair. I began to seek a quarrel with him; to my epigrams he replied
with epigrams which always seemed to me more spontaneous and more
cutting than mine, and which were decidedly more amusing, for he joked
while I fumed. At last, at a ball given by a Polish landed proprietor,
seeing him the object of the attention of all the ladies, and especially
of the mistress of the house, with whom I was upon very good terms, I
whispered some grossly insulting remark in his ear. He flamed up and
gave me a slap in the face. We grasped our swords; the ladies fainted;
we were separated; and that same night we set out to fight.
"The dawn was just breaking. I was standing at the appointed place with
my three seconds. With inexplicable impatience I awaited my opponent.
The spring sun rose, and it was already growing hot. I saw him coming in
the distance. He was walking on foot, accompanied by one second. We
advanced to meet him. He approached, holding his cap filled with black
cherries. The seconds measured twelve paces for us. I had to fire first,
but my agitation was so great, that I could not depend upon the
steadiness of my hand; and in order to give myself time to become calm,
I ceded to him the first shot. My adversary would not agree to this. It
was decided that we should cast lots. The first number fell to him, the
constant favorite of fortune. He took aim, and his bullet went through
my cap. It was now my turn. His life at last was in my hands; I looked
at him eagerly, endeavoring to detect if only the faintest shadow of
uneasiness. But he stood in front of my pistol, picking out the ripest
cherries from his cap and spitting out the stones, which flew almost as
far as my feet. His indifference annoyed me beyond measure. 'What is the
use,' thought I, 'of depriving him of life, when he attaches no value
whatever to it?' A malicious thought flashed through my mind. I lowered
my pistol.
"'You don't seem to be ready for death just at present,' I said to him:
'you wish to have your breakfast; I do not wish to hinder you.'
"'You are not hindering me in the least,' replied he. 'Have the goodness
to fire, or just as you please--the shot remains yours; I shall always
be ready at your service.'
"I turned to the seconds, informing them that I had no intention of
firing that day, and with that the duel came to an end.
"I resigned my commission and retired to this little place. Since then
not a day has passed that I have not thought of revenge. And now my hour
has arrived."
Silvio took from his pocket the letter that he had received that
morning, and gave it to me to read. Some one (it seemed to be his
business agent) wrote to him from Moscow, that a CERTAIN PERSON was
going to be married to a young and beautiful girl.
"You can guess," said Silvio, "who the certain person is. I am going to
Moscow. We shall see if he will look death in the face with as much
indifference now, when he is on the eve of being married, as he did once
with his cherries!"
With these words, Silvio rose, threw his cap upon the floor, and began
pacing up and down the room like a tiger in his cage. I had listened to
him in silence; strange conflicting feelings agitated me.
The servant entered and announced that the horses were ready. Silvio
grasped my hand tightly, and we embraced each other. He seated himself
in his telega, in which lay two trunks, one containing his pistols, the
other his effects. We said good-bye once more, and the horses galloped
off.
CHAPTER II.
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