Alexis entered.  I took him aside and told him of my conversation with Ignatius.

“What’s the good of seconds,” said he, dryly.  “We can do without them.”

We agreed to fight behind the haystack the next morning at six o’clock.

Seeing us talking amicably, Ignatius, full of joy, nearly betrayed us.  “You should have done that long ago, for a bad peace is better than a good quarrel.”

“What! what!  Ignatius,” said the Captain’s wife, who was playing patience in a corner, “I do not quite understand?”

Ignatius, seeing my displeasure, remembered his promise, became confused and knew not what to answer.  Alexis came to his relief:  “He approves of peace.”

“With whom had you quarreled?” said she.

“With Peter Grineff—­a few high words.”

“Why?”

“For a mere nothing—­a song.”

“Fine cause for a quarrel! a song!  Tell me how it happened.”

“Willingly:  Peter has recently been composing, and this morning he sang his song for me.  Then I chanted mine: 

    ‘Daughter of the Captain, walk not forth at midnight.’

As we were not on the same note, Peter was angry, forgetting that every one is at liberty to sing what he pleases.”

The insolence of Alexis made me furious.  No one but myself understood his allusions.  From poetry the conversation passed to poets in general.  The Commandant observed that they were all debauchees and drunkards, and advised me, as a friend, to renounce poetry as contrary to the service, and leading to nothing good.

As the pretence of Alexis was to me insupportable, I hastened to take leave of the family.  In my own apartment I examined my sword, tried its point, and went to bed, having ordered Saveliitch to wake me in the morning at six o’clock.

The next day at the appointed time I was behind the haystack awaiting my adversary, who did not fail to appear.  “We may be surprised,” he said; “be quick.”  We laid aside our uniforms, drew our swords 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.  Ignatius conducted us in triumph, marching military step, with majestic gravity.  We entered the Commandant’s house; Ignatius opened the folding doors, and exclaimed with emphasis:  “They are taken!”

Basilia ran toward us:  “What does this mean? plotting an assassination in our fortress!  Ivan Mironoff, arrest them!  Peter Grineff, 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 different; he was transferred to us from the Guards for having caused a soul to perish; and he does not believe in our blessed Saviour.”

Ivan Mironoff approved increasingly all that his wife said:  “You see!  You see!  Basilia is right, duels are forbidden by the military code.”