Chvabrine"s face changed.
"This I cannot overlook," he said; "you shall give me satisfaction."
"Certainly, whenever you like," replied I, joyfully; for at that moment I was ready to tear him in pieces.
I rushed at once to Iwan Ignatiitch, whom I found with a needle in his hand. In obedience to the order of the Commandant"s wife, he was threading mushrooms to be dried for the winter.
"Ah! Petr" Andrejtch," said he, when he saw me; "you are welcome. On what errand does heaven send you, if I may presume to ask?"
I told him in a few words that I had quarrelled with Alexey Ivanytch, and that I begged him, Iwan Ignatiitch, to be my second. Iwan Ignatiitch heard me till I had done with great attention, opening wide his single eye.
"You deign to tell me," said he, "that you wish to kill Alexey Ivanytch, and that I am to be witness? Is not that what you mean, if I may presume to ask you?"
"Exactly."
"But, good heavens, Petr" Andrejtch, what folly have you got in your head? You and Alexey Ivanytch have insulted one another; well, a fine affair! You needn"t wear an insult hung round your neck. He has said silly things to you, give him some impertinence; he in return will give you a blow, give him in return a box on the ear; he another, you another, and then you part. And presently we oblige you to make peace.
Whereas now--is it a good thing to kill your neighbour, if I may presume to ask you? Even if it were _you_ who should kill _him_! May heaven be with him, for I do not love him. But if it be he who is to run you through, you will have made a nice business of it. Who will pay for the broken pots, allow me to ask?"
The arguments of the prudent officer did not deter me. My resolution remained firm.
"As you like," said Iwan Ignatiitch, "do as you please; but what good should I do as witness? People fight; what is there extraordinary in that, allow me to ask? Thank heaven I have seen the Swedes and the Turks at close quarters, and I have seen a little of everything."
I endeavoured to explain to him as best I could the duty of a second, but I found Iwan Ignatiitch quite unmanageable.
"Do as you like," said he; "if I meddled in the matter, it would be to go and tell Ivan Kouzmitch, according to the rules of the service, that a criminal deed is being plotted in the fort, in opposition to the interests of the crown, and remark to the Commandant how advisable it would be that he should think of taking the necessary measures."
I was frightened, and I begged Iwan Ignatiitch not to say anything to the Commandant. With great difficulty I managed to quiet him, and at last made him promise to hold his tongue, when I left him in peace.
As usual I pa.s.sed the evening at the Commandant"s. I tried to appear lively and unconcerned in order not to awaken any suspicions, and avoid any too curious questions. But I confess I had none of the coolness of which people boast who have found themselves in the same position. All that evening I felt inclined to be soft-hearted and sentimental.
Marya Ivanofna pleased me more than usual. The thought that perhaps I was seeing her for the last time gave her, in my eyes, a touching grace.
Chvabrine came in. I took him aside and told him about my interview with Iwan Ignatiitch.
"Why any seconds?" he said to me, dryly. "We shall do very well without them."
We decided to fight on the morrow behind the haystacks, at six o"clock in the morning.
Seeing us talking in such a friendly manner, Iwan Ignatiitch, full of joy, nearly betrayed us.
"You should have done that long ago," he said to me, with a face of satisfaction. "Better a hollow peace than an open quarrel."
"What is that you say, Iwan Ignatiitch?" said the Commandant"s wife, who was playing patience in a corner. "I did not exactly catch what you said."
Iwan Ignatiitch, who saw my face darken, recollected his promise, became confused, and did not know what to say. Chvabrine came to the rescue.
"Iwan Ignatiitch," said he, "approves of the compact we have made."
"And with whom, my little father, did you quarrel?"
"Why, with Petr" Andrejtch, to be sure, and we even got to high words."
"What for?"
"About a mere trifle, over a little song."
"Fine thing to quarrel over--a little song! How did it happen?"
"Thus. Petr" Andrejtch lately composed a song, and he began singing it to me this morning. So I--I struck up mine, "Captain"s daughter, don"t go abroad at dead of night!" As we did not sing in the same key, Petr"
Andrejtch became angry. But afterwards he reflected that "every one is free to sing what he pleases," and that"s all."
Chvabrine"s insolence made me furious, but no one else, except myself, understood his coa.r.s.e allusions. n.o.body, at least, took up the subject.
From poetry the conversation pa.s.sed to poets in general, and the Commandant made the remark that they were all rakes and confirmed drunkards; he advised me as a friend to give up poetry as a thing opposed to the service, and leading to no good.
Chvabrine"s presence was to me unbearable. I hastened to take leave of the Commandant and his family. After coming home I looked at my sword; I tried its point, and I went to bed after ordering Saveliitch to wake me on the morrow at six o"clock.
On the following day, at the appointed hour, I was already behind the haystacks, waiting for my foeman. It was not long before he appeared.
"We may be surprised," he said to me; "we must make haste."
We laid aside our uniforms, and in our waistcoats we drew our swords from the scabbard.
At this moment Iwan Ignatiitch, followed by five pensioners, came out from behind a heap of hay. He gave us an order to go at once before the Commandant. We sulkily obeyed. The soldiers surrounded us, and we followed Iwan Ignatiitch who brought us along in triumph, walking with a military step, with majestic gravity.
We entered the Commandant"s house. Iwan Ignatiitch threw the door wide open, and exclaimed, emphatically--
"They are taken!"
Va.s.silissa Igorofna ran to meet us.
"What does all this mean? Plotting a.s.sa.s.sination in our very fort! Ivan Kouzmitch, put them under arrest at once. Petr" Andrejtch, Alexey Ivanytch, give up your swords, give them up--give them up. Palashka, take away the swords to the garret. Petr" Andrejtch, I did not expect this of you; aren"t you ashamed of yourself? As to Alexey Ivanytch, it"s different; he was transferred from the Guard for sending a soul into the other world. He does not believe in our Lord! But do you wish to do likewise?"
Ivan Kouzmitch approved of all his wife said, repeating--
"Look there, now, Va.s.silissa Igorofna is quite right--duels are formally forbidden by martial law."
Palashka had taken away our swords, and had carried them to the garret.
I could not help laughing. Chvabrine looked grave.
"In spite of all the respect I have for you," he said, coolly, to the Commandant"s wife, "I cannot help remarking that you are giving yourself useless trouble by trying us at your tribunal. Leave this cure do Ivan Kouzmitch--it is his business."
"What! what! my little father!" retorted the Commandant"s wife, "are not husband and wife the same flesh and spirit? Ivan Kouzmitch, are you trifling? Lock them up separately, and keep them on broad and water till this ridiculous idea goes out of their heads. And Father Garasim shall make them do penance that they may ask pardon of heaven and of men."
Ivan Kouzmitch did not know what to do. Marya Ivanofna was very pale.
Little by little the storm sank. The Commandant"s wife became more easy to deal with. She ordered us to make friends. Palashka brought us back our swords. We left the house apparently reconciled. Ivan Ignatiitch accompanied us.
"Weren"t you ashamed," I said to him, angrily, "thus to denounce us to the Commandant after giving me your solemn word not to do so?"
"As G.o.d is holy," replied he, "I said nothing to Ivan Kouzmitch; it was Va.s.silissa Igorofna who wormed it all out of me. It was she who took all the necessary measures unknown to the Commandant. As it is, heaven be praised that it has all ended in this way."