Page:The Writings of Prosper Merimee-Volume 5.djvu/223

201 "It may have seemed strange to you," he continued, "that I did not ask any satisfaction from that drunkard, that young fool R———. You will admit that, having the choice of weapons, he was at my mercy and that there was not much chance of his killing me. I might call it generosity on my part but I will not lie about it. If I could have given R——— a good lesson, without in any way risking my life, he would not have been rid of me so easily.

I looked at Silvio in the greatest surprise. Such an admission from him was astounding. He went on:

"As it is, unhappily, I have no right to risk my life. Six years ago, I received a blow and the man who struck me is still alive."

This excited my curiosity to an unusual degree.

"You did not meet him?" I asked. " Surely some extraordinary circumstance must have prevented your doing so? "

"I did meet him," answered Silvio, "and here you see the result of our encounter."

He rose and drew from a box near him a cap of red cloth with a gilt braid and tassel, such as Frenchmen call bonnet de police. He put