ow, a man for whom he had a great respect. So when
Kirillov came next morning at nine o'clock with his message he found
things in readiness. All the apologies and unheard-of condescension of
Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch were at once, at the first word, rejected with
extraordinary exasperation. Mavriky Nikolaevitch, who had only been made
acquainted with the position of affairs the evening before, opened his
mouth with surprise at such incredible concessions, and would have urged
a reconciliation, but seeing that Gaganov, guessing his intention, was
almost trembling in his chair, refrained, and said nothing. If it had
not been for the promise given to his old schoolfellow he would have
retired immediately; he only remained in the hope of being some help on
the scene of action. Kirillov repeated the challenge. All the conditions
of the encounter made by Stavrogin were accepted on the spot, without
the faintest objection. Only one addition was made, and that a ferocious
one. If the first shots had no decisive effect, they were to fire again,
and if the second encounter were inconclusive, it was to be followed by
a third. Kirillov frowned, objected to the third encounter, but gaining
nothing by his efforts agreed on the condition, however, that three
should be the limit, and that "a fourth encounter was out of the
question." This was conceded. Accordingly at two o'clock in the
afternoon the meeting took place at Brykov, that is, in a little
copse in the outskirts of the town, lying between Skvoreshniki and the
Shpigulin factory. The rain of the previous night was over, but it was
damp, grey, and windy. Low, ragged, dingy clouds moved rapidly across
the cold sky. The tree-tops roared with a deep droning sound, and
creaked on their roots; it was a melancholy morning.

Mavriky Nikolaevitch and Gaganov arrived on the spot in a smart
char-a-banc with a pair of horses driven by the latter. They were
accompanied by a groom. Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch and Kirillov arrived
almost at the same instant. They were not driving, they were on
horseback, and were also followed by a mounted servant. Kirillov, who
had never mounted a horse before, sat up boldly, erect in the saddle,
grasping in his right hand the heavy box of pistols which he would not
entrust to the servant. In his inexperience he was continually with his
left hand tugging at the reins, which made the horse toss his head and
show an inclination to rear. This, however, seemed to cause