The Essential Guy de Maupassant Collection. Guy de Maupassant

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СКАЧАТЬ not resist, and I concealed the gun in a cave on the road to Corte.'

      "An hour later, he came back, with nothing in his hand, and with his habitual sad air of weariness. His sister believed that there was nothing further in his thoughts.

      "But when night fell he disappeared.

      "His enemy had, the same evening, to repair to Corte on foot, accompanied by his two bridesmen.

      "He was pursuing his way, singing as he went, when St. Lucia stood before him, and looking straight in the murderer's face, exclaimed: 'Now is the time!' and shot him point-blank in the chest.

      "One of the bridesmen fled; the other stared at the young man, saying:

      "'What have you done, St. Lucia?'

      "Then he was going to hasten to Corte for help, but St. Lucia said in a stern tone:

      "'If you move another step, I'll shoot you through the legs.'

      "The other, aware that till now he had always appeared timid, said to him: 'You would not dare to do it!' and he was hurrying off when he fell, instantaneously, his thigh shattered by a bullet.

      "And St. Lucia, coming over to where he lay, said:

      "'I am going to look at your wound; if it is not serious, I'll leave you there; if it is mortal, I'll finish you off.'

      "He inspected the wound, considered it mortal, and slowly re-loading his gun, told the wounded man to say a prayer, and shot him through the head.

      "Next day he was in the mountains.

      "And do you know what this St. Lucia did after this?

      "All his family were arrested by the gendarmes. His uncle, the cur?, who was suspected of having incited him to this deed of vengeance, was himself put into prison, and accused by the dead man's relatives. But he escaped, took a gun in his turn, and went to join his nephew in the cave.

      "Next, St. Lucia killed, one after the other, his uncle's accusers, and tore out their eyes to teach the others never to state what they had seen with their eyes.

      "He killed all the relatives, all the connections of his enemy's family. He massacred during his life fourteen gendarmes, burned down the houses of his adversaries, and was up to the day of his death the most terrible of the bandits, whose memory we have preserved."

      * * * * *

      The sun disappeared behind Monte Cinto and the tall shadow of the granite mountain went to sleep on the granite of the valley. We quickened our pace in order to reach before night the little village of Albertaccio, nothing better than a heap of stones welded beside the stone flanks of a wild gorge. And I said as I thought of the bandit:

      "What a terrible custom your _vendetta_ is!"

      My companion answered with an air of resignation:

      "What would you have? A man must do his duty!"

      THE DUEL

      In society, they called him "The handsome Signoles." He called himself Viscount Gontran Joseph de Signoles.

      An orphan and master of a sufficient fortune, he cut something of a figure, as the saying is. He had an attractive form, enough readiness of speech to make some attempt at wit, a certain natural grace of manner, an air of nobility and pride, and a mustache which was both formidable and pleasant to the eye--a thing that pleases the ladies.

      He was in demand in drawing-rooms, sought for by waltzers, and he inspired in men that smiling enmity which one has for people of energetic physique. He was suspected of some love affairs which showed him capable of much discretion, for a young man. He lived happy, tranquil, in a state of moral well-being most complete. It was well known that he was good at handling a sword, and still better with a pistol.

      "If I were to fight," he said, "I should choose a pistol. With that weapon, I am sure of killing my man."

      Now, one evening, having escorted two young women, friends of his, to the theater, being also accompanied by their husbands, he offered them, after the play, an ice at Tortoni's. They had been there about ten minutes, when he perceived that a gentleman, seated at a neighboring table, gazed persistently at one of the ladies of his party. She seemed troubled and disturbed, lowering her eyes. Finally, she said to her husband:

      "That man is staring me out of countenance. I do not know him; do you?"

      The husband, who had seen nothing, raised his eyes but declared:

      "No, not at all."

      The young woman replied, half laughing, half angry: "It is very annoying; that individual is spoiling my ice."

      The husband shrugged his shoulders, replying:

      "Pshaw! Pay no attention to him. If we were to notice all the insolent people we meet, there would be no end to it."

      But the Viscount arose brusquely. He could not allow this unknown man to spoil an ice he had offered. It was to him that the injury was addressed, as it was through him and for him that his friends had entered this _caf?_. The affair, then, concerned him only. He advanced toward the man and said to him:

      "You have, sir, a manner of looking at these ladies that is not to be tolerated. I beg to ask you to cease this attention."

      The other replied: "So you command me to keep the peace, do you?"

      With set teeth, the Viscount answered: "Take care, sir, or you will force me to forget myself!"

      The gentleman replied with a single word, an obscene word which resounded from one end of the _caf?_ to the other, and made each guest start with a sudden movement as if they were all on springs. Those that were in front turned around; all the others raised their heads; three waiters turned about on their heels as if on pivots; the two ladies at the counter bounded forward, then entirely turned their backs upon the scene, as if they had been two automatons obeying the same manipulation.

      There was a great silence. Then, suddenly, a sharp noise rent the air. The Viscount had struck his adversary. Everybody got up to interpose. Cards were exchanged.

      After the Viscount had returned home, he walked up and down his room at a lively pace for some minutes. He was too much agitated to reflect upon anything. One idea only hovered over his mind: "a duel"; and yet this idea awoke in him as yet, no emotion whatever. He had done what he ought to do; he had shown himself what he ought to be. People would talk of it, approve of it, and congratulate him. He said aloud, in a high voice, as one speaks when he is much troubled in thought:

      "What a beast that man is."

      Then he sat down and began to reflect. He would have to find some seconds in the morning. Whom should he choose? He thought over the people of his acquaintance who were the most celebrated and in the best positions. He took finally, Marquis de la Tour-Noire and Colonel Bourdin, a great lord and a soldier who was very strong. Their names would carry in the journals. He perceived that he was thirsty and he drank, one after the other, three glasses of water; then he began to walk again. He felt himself full of energy. СКАЧАТЬ