m not in the least disposed
to spoil for all time my future in this world.

After that I went home. In an hour's time the doctor returned from his
expedition.

"There is indeed a conspiracy against you," he said. "I found the
captain of dragoons at Grushnitski's, together with another gentleman
whose surname I do not remember. I stopped a moment in the ante-room,
in order to take off my goloshes. They were squabbling and making a
terrible uproar. 'On no account will I agree,' Grushnitski was saying:
'he has insulted me publicly; it was quite a different thing before'...

"'What does it matter to you?' answered the captain. 'I will take it all
upon myself. I have been second in five duels, and I should think I know
how to arrange the affair. I have thought it all out. Just let me alone,
please. It is not a bad thing to give people a bit of a fright. And why
expose yourself to danger if it is possible to avoid it?'...

"At that moment I entered the room. They suddenly fell silent. Our
negotiations were somewhat protracted. At length we decided the matter
as follows: about five versts from here there is a hollow gorge; they
will ride thither tomorrow at four o'clock in the morning, and we
shall leave half an hour later. You will fire at six paces--Grushnitski
himself demanded that condition. Whichever of you is killed--his death
will be put down to the account of the Circassians. And now I must tell
you what I suspect: they, that is to say the seconds, may have made
some change in their former plan and may want to load only Grushnitski's
pistol. That is something like murder, but in time of war, and
especially in Asiatic warfare, such tricks are allowed. Grushnitski,
however, seems to be a little more magnanimous than his companions. What
do you think? Ought we not to let them see that we have guessed their
plan?"

"Not on any account, doctor! Make your mind easy; I will not give in to
them."

"But what are you going to do, then?"

"That is my secret."

"Mind you are not caught... six paces, you know!"

"Doctor, I shall expect you to-morrow at four o'clock. The horses will
be ready... Goodbye."

I remained in the house until the evening, with my door locked. A
manservant came to invite me to Princess Ligovski's--I bade him say that
I was ill.

*****

Two o'clock in the morning... I cannot sleep... Yet sleep is what I
need, if I am to have a steady hand to-morrow. However, at six paces
it is difficult to mi