Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 137.djvu/379

1885.] I was very young and very hot-headed, and the sense of the injustice overpowered me as an unbearable insult."

"'The man who has written this is a fool!' I said aloud, and flung the paper to the floor.

"'You will not dare to call me a fool,' said a small voice; and through the open doorway Conrad Perlenberg suddenly stepped forward, looking rather more white than pink this morning. We stood opposite to each other, and the young counts and barons around tittered a little as they bent over their desks. I had not expected to see Count Perlenberg; but my blood was up, beyond all power of restraint.

"'I cannot take back my words,' I said,' even if you have written it.'

"Young Perlenberg uttered a laugh, which was half embarrassed and half hysterical.

"'This is suitable language,' he said, turning to his companions, with an unsteady sneer 'most suitable language for a man who, but for my father, might be in want of breakfast to-day —'

"I am convinced now that Perlenberg had lost his self-control as much as I had lost mine, for he was not a bad fellow by nature; but at the moment I felt only the taunt, and it maddened me. I don't remember making any answer; I know only that in the next moment the tittering at the desks had entirely ceased. I had struck out my right hand, and Conrad Perlenberg was lying on his back on the ground, while the rest of the jeunesse dorée were dragging me back by the arms and shoulders. They might have left me alone; for at the very moment of the fall I was already repenting having knocked down a man who was six inches below my own height."

Gretchen could not repress a rising laugh, as the picture of the prostrate Perlenberg rose before her mind's eye. Vincenz looked at her gravely.

"Does it amuse you? I daresay it was comedy to the spectators, but it turned out tragedy for us two. As soon as we had both recovered our senses, we were told that we must fight, and with pistols, as the offence had been so grave, and given before witnesses. No personal enmity was at fault. It had been entirely through a mistake that young Perlenberg had got hold of this document, and he had corrected it without knowing whose draft it was, while I had spoken unaware of the name of my corrector. But, for a hot word and a hasty act, the world decreed that each should have a shot at the other's life. I had never fought a duel before, and I was foolish enough to be rather pleased at the prospect. I took care that Anna should not guess why I left the house at so early an hour. Perlenberg had the first shot, being the offended; he aimed fairly well, and hit me in the left arm. I felt a stinging pain, but the excitement drowned every bodily sensation.

"After I had fired, which I did in absolute blindness, for I could not see six paces ahead, the young Count stood upright for a moment, then, staggered, and was caught in the arms of his second. He was not dead, but he was mortally wounded. He was privately removed to his house, and I went home, chilled and sobered; and at the door I was met by Anna, who had suspected something abnormal. I could not command my emotion; and my wounded arm, which I had half forgotten, spoke for itself. Some hint dropped by a servant led her to think of a duel, and she knew me too well to believe such