his rider no
uneasiness. Gaganov, who was morbidly suspicious and always ready to be
deeply offended, considered their coming on horseback as a fresh insult
to himself, inasmuch as it showed that his opponents were too confident
of success, since they had not even thought it necessary to have a
carriage in case of being wounded and disabled. He got out of his
char-a-banc, yellow with anger, and felt that his hands were trembling,
as he told Mavriky Nikolaevitch. He made no response at all to Nikolay
Vsyevolodovitch's bow, and turned away. The seconds cast lots. The lot
fell on Kirillov's pistols. They measured out the barrier and placed the
combatants. The servants with the carriage and horses were moved
back three hundred paces. The weapons were loaded and handed to the
combatants.

I'm sorry that I have to tell my story more quickly and have no time
for descriptions. But I can't refrain from some comments. Mavriky
Nikolaevitch was melancholy and preoccupied. Kirillov, on the other
hand, was perfectly calm and unconcerned, very exact over the details
of the duties he had undertaken, but without the slightest fussiness or
even curiosity as to the issue of the fateful contest that was so near
at hand. Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch was paler than usual. He was rather
lightly dressed in an overcoat and a white beaver hat. He seemed very
tired, he frowned from time to time, and seemed to feel it superfluous
to conceal his ill-humour. But Gaganov was at this moment more worthy
of mention than anyone, so that it is quite impossible not to say a few
words about him in particular.

II

I have hitherto not had occasion to describe his appearance. He was a
tall man of thirty-three, and well fed, as the common folk express it,
almost fat, with lank flaxen hair, and with features which might be
called handsome. He had retired from the service with the rank of
colonel, and if he had served till he reached the rank of general he
would have been even more impressive in that position, and would very
likely have become an excellent fighting general.

I must add, as characteristic of the man, that the chief cause of
his leaving the army was the thought of the family disgrace which had
haunted him so painfully since the insult paid to his father by Nikolay
Vsyevolodovitch four years before at the club. He conscientiously
considered it dishonourable to remain in the service, and was inwardly
persuaded that he was contaminating the regime