wife were excellent people. Ivan Mironoff, from being the adopted child of the regiment, rose to officer's rank. He was a plain, simple, uneducated man, but thoroughly good and loyal. His wif

I found that she was a girl full of affection and intelligence

there was no duty to do, no guard to mount, nor review to pass. Occasionally, for his own amusement, the Comman

thing, I spent the rest of the day. In the evening, Father Garasim came with his wife, Accoulina, the greatest gossip of the place. Of course Alexis and I met daily, yet gradually his society displeased me. His perpetual jokes upon the Commandant's family, and a

known that authors, under pretext of asking advice, willingly seek a kindly audience. I copied my little song and took it to Alexis, the only

e me. To my great annoyance, Alexis, who was generally pleased w

cize without pity, every verse, every word, tearing me up in the most malicious fashion. It was too m

as Ivan Mironoff needs a decanter of brandy before dinner. Who is this Mari

said I, frowning. "I want neith

rritating me more and more, "listen to friendly counsel:

u mean, sir

rm an intimacy with Marie Mironoff, you have only to give h

this opinion of her?" I asked, wi

d he, "of my o

cried, with furry, "y

was e

said, grasping my hand. "Yo

. I ran at once to see Ivan Ignatius, whom I found with a needle in his hand. According to orde

come. Dare I ask on what b

begged him, Ignatius, to be my second. Ignatius heard me

lexis, and desire that I should witness t

cise

if he give you a slap, return the blow; he a second, you a third; in the end we will compel you to make peace. Whilst if you fight - well, if you should k

prudent officer did n

witness? People fight - that's nothing extraordinary - I have often b

on," said he, "if I were to meddle in this affair, it would be to announce to Ivan Mironoff, according to rule, that a p

mandant's, forcing myself to be calm and gay, in order not to awaken suspicions and to avoid questioning. I confess that I had not the coolness of which people boast who have been

aside and told him of my

onds," said he, dryly.

nd the haystack the nex

nearly betrayed us. "You should have done that long

in's wife, who was playing patience in

omise, became confused and knew not what to answer

d you quarrel

rineff - a fe

hy

e nothing

arrel! a song! Tell

composing, and this morning he sang

aptain, walk not f

was angry, forgetting that every one

ersation passed to poets in general. The Commandant observed that they were all debauchees and drunkards,

f the family. In my own apartment I examined my sword, tried its point, and w

ds from the scabbards, when Ignatius, followed by five pensioners, came out from behind a haystack. He ordered us to repair to the presence of the Commandant. We obeyed. The soldiers surrounded us.

Alexis, give up your swords to the garret. Peter, I did not expect this of you; are you not ashamed? As for Alexis, it is quite dif

is wife said: "You see! You see! Basilia is ri

preserved all his gravity, and said to Basilia: "Notwithstanding all my respect for you, I must say you

you trifling? Lock up these boys instantly; put them in separate rooms - on bread and water, to expel this s

ided little by little. Basilia ordered us to embrace each other, and the maid was sent for

, "to have denounced us to the Commandant, after

She took all the necessary measures without the knowledge of the Commandant.

n not end thus

r blood for your impertinence, but as undoubtedly we shall

d tones. Marie reproached me gently for the pain my quarrel with Alexis gave her. "My heart failed me," she said, "when I heard you were going to fight with swords. How strange men are! For a wor

you th

e him, and yet I would not displease him,

Marie, are you ple

seems," said she, "

o you

de me an offer

an offer of m

o months befor

d not a

d not without fortune, but the mere idea that beneath the crown, on my marriage day, I

rovoked our quarrel seemed to me the more infamous, as instead of being a vulgar joke, it was deliberate calumny. The desire to punish this shameless liar became so strong that I waited impatiently the favorabl

onger watched, let us go down to the r

s more skillful than I in the use of arms, but I was stronger and bolder. Mons. Beaupre, who had been, amongst other t

and almost drove him backward into the river, when suddenly I heard my name pronounced in a high voice. Turning my head rapidly, I saw Saveliit