“Assuredly,” the fellow returned, well pleased at finding himself taken for rather more than even he pretended to be. “The symptoms certainly point to the presence of poisonous matter in the system, and we must, at all events, take measures to counteract5 it.”
Accordingly he did take measures, which the patient in turn took good care to neutralize6. The doctor was so fussy7 and stupid that we found no difficulty in contriving8 that he should not make an examination which might have betrayed, even to him, the real state of the case.
Presently he bustled9 off to prepare a draught10. I offered to accompany him to his house, and hurry back with the potion, so that it might be given without delay. As I opened the door to go out a young fellow came up, an officer by his uniform, and asked [Pg 56]for Von Lindheim. I guessed at once that he was the second of the fire-eating Captain de Hayn, and rejoiced that he had arrived at that moment.
I saluted11 him punctiliously12. “Herr von Lindheim has, I regret to say, been taken ill, dangerously ill. It is impossible for you to see him.”
As I expected, the young fellow gave an incredulous smile.
“Really, sir? My——”
I cut him short. “Here is the doctor, who will confirm what I tell you. You know Dr. Rothmer?”
He did not know Dr. Rothmer, but happily that good man’s profession was unmistakable.
“It is indeed the case,” he said pompously13. “Herr von Lindheim is seriously ill. I cannot allow you to see him.”
“If you will step in for a moment,” I said, “I will tell Herr von Lindheim that you are here, and will follow you, doctor, directly.” The professional was bustled off, and I took Lieutenant14 Paulssen into the dining-room.
“I presume you have called to see Von Lindheim about the affair in which he is acting15 for Herr Szalay. Von Lindheim has only just asked me to inform Herr Szalay of his illness, and to request him to find another second. But I hope, Lieutenant, your visit may be to say that it is unnecessary; that this deplorable, this absurd affair is at an end.”
“Pardon!” he returned uncompromisingly; “that is by no means my mission. And I must request you, sir, to refrain from referring to an insult to our army as absurd.”
I changed my tone to one of easy familiarity.
“Of course, Lieutenant, my expression absurd was very far from being applied17 to the honour of your [Pg 57]corps, which I am sure you, as a gallant18 soldier, hold above everything in the world. What I meant was the idea of poor Szalay measuring swords with so renowned19 a fighter as your principal.”
He shrugged20 his epauletted shoulders. “It is unfortunate,” he responded stiffly. “But Herr Szalay should have remembered that before uttering words of disrespect concerning Captain de Hayn.”
“I understand he has no recollection of having done so; he is ready——”
“Pardon, mein Herr,” he interrupted with a formality, brusque in its uncertain touch, “if I decline to discuss the matter with you.”
I bowed. “You have every right to do so.”
“We will stand no shuffling,” he cried. “I swear I will not eat my breakfast till the affair has come off. If Herr von Lindheim is ill, then Herr Szalay must find another friend, or take the consequences.”
“No doubt,” I replied, “if Von Lindheim’s illness continues, Herr Szalay will find another friend. But you can hardly expect him to do so by breakfast time.”
He twirled his silly little moustache, and put on one of the most stupidly offensive looks it has ever been my fortune to see on a human countenance21. “You, sir,” he said blusteringly, “you seem to be at pains to champion Herr Szalay; what is there to prevent your acting as his friend?”
“Only the fact that he has not honoured me by asking me to do so.”
“It is absurd, this attempt to play fast and loose,” he spluttered. “We shall not permit it, that I swear. I am surprised that any one should counsel delay. Delay in an affair of this sort, sir, we hold as a coward’s word. And if you have any regard for your friend’s honour you will see that this business is settled at once. I shall not go to bed to-night, but [Pg 58]shall expect to receive Herr Szalay’s friend. That is my last word; I have a duty to perform. I have the honour, sir. Good evening.”
He made me a bow which was meant, no doubt, to be the quintessence of military dignity, and clattered22 from the room. I let him go, seeing that an appeal to common sense was worse than hopeless. Then I went up, and gave the two men an account of my interview.
“Clearly,” Lindheim said, “even if there had ever been a doubt about it, this ridiculous duel23 is simply a trick of the Jaguar24’s to get rid of our friend.”
Szalay had sat in a gloomy silence, and, appreciating his feelings, I had taken little notice of him. He now rather astonished me by starting up and exclaiming, “I will fight! I will fight this duel!”
“Better not,” I observed laconically26.
“Yes, I will!” he repeated, pacing the room in a state of nervous excitement. “Don’t think me mad; it is by far the most sensible course to take. I have got to die; my life is forfeit27; the Jaguar never turns off from the prey28 he has marked down. Better a thousand times fall by a soldier’s bullet in open day, when the chances are nominally29 equal, than be done to death in secret by one of Rallenstein’s butchers. Yes, my friends, I am resolved; do not try to turn me.” For we had simultaneously30 began to exclaim against his decision. “Herr Tyrrell, if you will honour me by standing31 my friend, it would be a great favour, the last I shall probably ask of any man; if you will see this Paulssen and arrange the meeting for as soon after daybreak as possible. I have the courage now and am in the mood; who knows how long it may last?”
“It is sheer suicide,” I remonstrated32; “if this De Hayn is a dead shot, and you——”
[Pg 59]
He laughed. “I am to die assuredly within the next forty-eight hours.”
“Not necessarily!” I objected.
“You are a tower of strength, Herr Tyrrell,” he replied wistfully. “But even you cannot stand against our King Jaguar, and in any event you will have enough to do to save our friend here. Now will you go to Paulssen at once? I ask you as a friend.”
He was not to be dissuaded33, and perhaps both Von Lindheim and I had a secret feeling that, on his chances, the course he urged had something to commend it. So, after waiting for a comedy scene with the doctor, who paid us another fussy visit, during which he nearly succeeded in making his patient actually swallow a manifestly loathsome34 draught, I went off to Lieutenant Paulssen’s lodgings35 and arranged preliminaries for the meeting which was to take place at daybreak. My pugnacious36 friend was sullenly37 gratified, receiving my communication with a significant, “It is well.”
Having a pretty shrewd idea of the fellow’s sense and capabilities38, I wasted no time, but simply and curtly39 settled the necessary details of the meeting, and returned to Von Lindheim’s.
The rest of the night I spent in coaching my poor principal in the use of his weapon. I had on his behalf naturally chosen pistols for the encounter, as giving a rather better chance; with swords he would have been as a sheep before a butcher.
The poor fellow attended to my instructions in a mechanical, half-dazed fashion; he was utterly40 without hope, indeed, clearly in the apathy41 of despair. But we did our best to cheer him, and I took pains to impress upon him one or two wrinkles which might possibly give a slender chance in his favour.
In the dull grey of a chilly42 dawn we set out for the place of meeting, and certainly it was the most dis[Pg 60]agreeable errand on which I ever started. On the way my companion tried to talk on different subjects, even to jest on his situation and its almost certain issue; but it was all so hideously43 forced as a cover to his despair, that it would have been far less painful to me had he kept silence.
The rendezvous44 was a short distance outside the city, the less frequented side of a common bordered by a plantation45. Being before our time we were first on the ground, and I utilized46 the interval47 of waiting in reiterating48 the instructions I already had given Szalay; but he was in such a piteous state of nervousness that to me, as the affair had to be gone through with, it was a relief when the other party appeared. They were three: De Hayn, Paulssen, and a professional-looking person, evidently the surgeon whom Paulssen had arranged to bring.
It seemed as though the sight of the trio and the approach of the critical moment had the effect of steadying Szalay’s nerves somewhat.
“So they have brought the doctor,” he laughed; “it is just as well to do everything in order, even a murder.”
“The chances are if he hits you it won’t be in a vital part,” I said to comfort him. “Now, mind; take steady aim on the first sight and get your fire in before his, it’s your best chance.”
The account given of the fire-eating Captain de Hayn had not been over-coloured. It seemed impossible that five feet four inches of humanity could hold a greater quantity of truculent49 conceit50 than was manifestly compressed into his personality. A greater contrast between this business-like little butcher, with his bronzed—and brazen—countenance, and poor Szalay, trying to control his shaking nerves and keep a manly51 look on his grey face, could not be imagined. Principals and seconds saluted punctiliously, and [Pg 61]the doctor gave Szalay and me a bow, his expression being nicely differentiated52 as between the humane53 reserve towards a dying patient, and the grave announcement of a hopeless case to his friends.
Paulssen and I measured the ground, while the doctor, with professional glib54 deliberation, set out his case of instruments.
All was ready; we placed our men.
If ever a man was sick at the irony56 and unfairness of life I was then, as I drew back from that poor fellow, already, as it seemed, half-dead. Indeed, I remember wondering how he contrived57 to keep so steady. I glanced at his dapper little opponent, standing in professional duellist’s style, not the easiest of marks for a good shot; to my man practically invisible. Paulssen was to give the word; the usual One! Two! Three! Perhaps he had anticipated my instructions to Szalay as to firing if possible before his adversary58: the usual advice given to a novice59 at the game. Anyhow, he made a deliberate pause between One! and Two! but none between Two! and Three!
The reports appeared to be simultaneous; next I heard Paulssen utter an oath as he rushed forward to his man, followed by the doctor. As fate would have it, the unexpected had happened. Szalay was untouched, while De Hayn, the victor in a dozen encounters, lay prone60 on the turf with a bullet through his heart.
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1
incompetent
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| adj.无能力的，不能胜任的 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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plausible
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| adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的 | |
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seizure
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| n.没收；占有；抵押 | |
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5
counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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6
neutralize
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| v.使失效、抵消，使中和 | |
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7
fussy
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| adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的 | |
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contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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9
bustled
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| 闹哄哄地忙乱，奔忙( bustle的过去式和过去分词 )； 催促 | |
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10
draught
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| n.拉，牵引，拖；一网（饮，吸，阵)；顿服药量，通风；v.起草，设计 | |
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11
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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12
punctiliously
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pompously
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| adv.傲慢地，盛大壮观地；大模大样 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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15
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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bristle
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| v.（毛发）直立，气势汹汹，发怒；n.硬毛发 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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18
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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renowned
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| adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的 | |
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shrugged
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| vt.耸肩（shrug的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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clattered
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| 发出咔哒声（clatter的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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duel
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| n./v.决斗；(双方的)斗争 | |
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jaguar
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| n.美洲虎 | |
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assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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laconically
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| adv.简短地，简洁地 | |
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27
forfeit
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| vt.丧失；n.罚金，罚款，没收物 | |
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prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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29
nominally
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| 在名义上，表面地； 应名儿 | |
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30
simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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31
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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32
remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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33
dissuaded
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| 劝（某人）勿做某事，劝阻( dissuade的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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34
loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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35
lodgings
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| n. 出租的房舍, 寄宿舍 | |
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pugnacious
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| adj.好斗的 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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38
capabilities
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| n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力 | |
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39
curtly
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| adv.简短地 | |
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40
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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41
apathy
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| n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡 | |
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42
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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43
hideously
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| adv.可怕地，非常讨厌地 | |
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44
rendezvous
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| n.约会，约会地点，汇合点；vi.汇合，集合；vt.使汇合，使在汇合地点相遇 | |
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45
plantation
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| n.种植园，大农场 | |
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46
utilized
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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47
interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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48
reiterating
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| 反复地说，重申( reiterate的现在分词 ) | |
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49
truculent
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| adj.野蛮的，粗野的 | |
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50
conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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51
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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52
differentiated
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| 区分，区别，辨别( differentiate的过去式和过去分词 )； 区别对待； 表明…间的差别，构成…间差别的特征 | |
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53
humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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54
glib
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| adj.圆滑的，油嘴滑舌的 | |
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55
enjoined
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| v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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56
irony
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| n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄 | |
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57
contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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58
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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59
novice
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| adj.新手的，生手的 | |
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60
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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