of his finger
without touching the bone; it was only a slight scratch. Kirillov at
once announced that the duel would go on, unless the combatants were
satisfied.

"I declare," said Gaganov hoarsely (his throat felt parched), again
addressing Mavriky Nikolaevitch, "that this man," again he pointed
in Stavrogin's direction, "fired in the air on purpose...
intentionally.... This is an insult again.... He wants to make the
duel impossible!"

"I have the right to fire as I like so long as I keep the rules,"
Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch asserted resolutely.

"No, he hasn't! Explain it to him! Explain it!" cried Gaganov.

"I'm in complete agreement with Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch," proclaimed
Kirillov.

"Why does he spare me?" Gaganov raged, not hearing him. "I despise his
mercy.... I spit on it.... I..."

"I give you my word that I did not intend to insult you," cried Nikolay
Vsyevolodovitch impatiently. "I shot high because I don't want to kill
anyone else, either you or anyone else. It's nothing to do with you
personally. It's true that I don't consider myself insulted, and I'm
sorry that angers you. But I don't allow any one to interfere with my
rights."

"If he's so afraid of bloodshed, ask him why he challenged me," yelled
Gaganov, still addressing Mavriky Nikolaevitch.

"How could he help challenging you?" said Kirillov, intervening. "You
wouldn't listen to anything. How was one to get rid of you?"

"I'll only mention one thing," observed Mavriky Nikolaevitch, pondering
the matter with painful effort. "If a combatant declares beforehand that
he will fire in the air the duel certainly cannot go on... for obvious
and... delicate reasons."

"I haven't declared that I'll fire in the air every time," cried
Stavrogin, losing all patience. "You don't know what's in my mind or how
I intend to fire again.... I'm not restricting the duel at all."

"In that case the encounter can go on," said Mavriky Nikolaevitch to
Gaganov.

"Gentlemen, take your places," Kirillov commanded. Again they advanced,
again Gaganov missed and Stavrogin fired into the air. There might have
been a dispute as to his firing into the air. Nikolay Vsyevolodovitch
might have flatly declared that he'd fired properly, if he had not
admitted that he had missed intentionally. He did not aim straight at
the sky or at the trees, but seemed to aim at his adversary, though as
he pointed the pistol the bullet flew a yard above his hat. The second
time the sh