LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1613, 22 April 1879, Page 3

LITERATURE.

TWO FAIR DUELLISTS,

(From the • Danbury News.’)

Continued.

The month which Lapinski had allowed him for marriage had pa sed long since, but Koltoff seemed little inclined to shoot himself He visited the countess daily, was daily on the point of choking with rage ana jealousy, took up his hat to go for the last time, but was always caught again in the meshes of a new net. There would have been no end to this business if Lapinski had not interfered. ‘lt is evident that the countess loves you,' he said one day to Koltoff ‘lf she did not, she would have married the Pole long ago and dismissed you ; you are certainly not as amiable and such a genius as you imagine yourself to be, despite your famous 1 Man and Nature;’ it can be only the charm of your presence and conversation which is so attractive that she falls into convulsions when you attempt to leave her. She loves you beyond a doubt; make use of your fortunate position, force her to some conclusion, and if she, as I anticipate, rejects you, leave her tears, her convulsions, her prayers, her letters, for a week, and she is yours.’ On that very evening Koltoff determined to put into execution the plan of his friend. He put on a cold, earnest behaviour, and bis conversation was so tame and monosyllabic that the countess found him insufferably wearisome, and as even her extravagant praises of the Pole did not disturb his serenity, she commenced to yawn and amuse herself with the freaks of her pet monkey. ‘This business must end,’ at last began the captain, a little harshly. ‘What business must end?’ asked the countess, who saw prospects of his coming to life

‘This infernal play of yours,’ retorted Koltoff, impatiently. ‘ W ho objects to my amusing myself with my monkey ?’ she retorted, viciously. Thi n 1 am y.mr monkey ’ cried Koltoif, beside himself with auger. ‘ I was not referring to you, ’ she said, with an amused smile.

‘ Of whom were you talking then ?’ * Of my monkey, this chaming creature here,’ she answered, caressing the animal fondly. ‘ But I am talking of myself, of you, of us,’ burst out Koltoff, impatiently.

‘ Pray continue,' she said, ‘T do so love to hear yon talk.’ ‘ You permitted me the privilege of wooing you,’ continued the captain, 1 I have come to-day to learn my fate, and I shall not leave uutil I have your decision ’

‘ But consider, captain, what people would say if you we.o to take up your quarters here,’ she retoit >d. ‘ Then you r> fuse to gi' r e me an answer? ‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘and if you continue to annoy and command me, 1 will remind you that I am your superior officer.’ ‘Aid has it come to that?’ exclaimed Koltoff, in torture ‘Bo you know that you arc a coquette, a heartless coquette f 1 * Possibly,’ answered Lubina, bursting into laughter. ‘And now you tmint me,’ cried the captain, beside himself. ‘ But you are mine and no one dare take you from me !’ At the same time he clasped her in a passionate embrace The countess screamed for help, while Koltoff covered her face with burning kisses; but nobody answered her summons, when suddenly the little monkey, seeing his mistress in dangrr, sprang on Koltoff and scratched and bit him furhusly. uutil the frantic lover disengaged himself from the countess, and drawing his sword, made chase aft< r the faithful animal. And now Lubina came to the aid of her pet. With majesty she stepped before the madman.

‘ Captpin, she exclaimed, in words of command, ‘I order you to put up your weapon.’ And finding that Koltoff did not obey immediately, she concluded, stamping her foot, * Do you know what you are doing ? This is insubordination. You will report at the guardhouse !’ Koltoff endeavored to stammer an excuse.

‘ Not a word !’ cried the beautiful major. ‘ Give me your sword.’ Koltoff handed her his sword, bowed, and left.

Chapter VITI.

OFF WITH THE OLD, ON WITH THE NKW. When Koltoff had been in the guardhouse fully twenty-four hours his sword was returned to him The countess accompanied this acti n with no word of explanation ; she sat in her boudoir and was more amused than ever ; she expected her admirer in the role of the penitent sinner, immediately after his discharge. But he did not come.

A day passed, two day, a week passed, but Koltoff did not put in an appearance. The major of the Simbirsk Begiment and the captain f toe Tobolsk Regiment evaded each other studiously. Koltoff made aimless excur Jons on foot and mounted, through the cheerless country about St. Petershurgh ; hs did not sleep, he scarcely ate, he felt himself utterly miserable ; but he had sworn never to make the first step toward a reconciliation with the countess, and he remained firm.

Cuhlna Mentschikoff quarrelled with her fillcs de-chamber, h..r s ddiers her monkey, her dogs, and above all, with herself. But she was too proud to acknowledge that she had gone too far with Koltoff, that she had played the coquette with him, that she loved him ; and she felt this more every day, to her shame and mortification; she missed him she longed fo - his company, she wept for him, but fur all that she would not offer her hand in reconciliation, much as she longed to take his. It happened that one day at parade, Colonel Madame de Mellin introduced a new comrade to the officers of the Tobolsk Regiment, Lieutenant Sophie de Narischkin. This new lieutenant was one of the most charming girls of the Russian aristocracy. Bred in the country, in the idyllic surroundings of a Russian village, among the patriarchal customs of the Russian noblesse, Sophie de Narischkin like many girls and women of tha time, fascinated with the imperial presence of Catharine, and filled with romantic fancies, had le't the narrow circle of her family and became an Amazon, but she remained the innocent, pure, honorable country girl, combining an aristocratic name with a ready wit and a noble simplicity, which was then as scarce at the court of St. Petershurgh as it was at that of Versailles.

Thera is no time when we have more inlination to fall in love than when insult d, slighted or deserted by one we have loved. Koltoff saw in himself a plaything with which the fair Lubina amused herself and then threw away. His whole nature revolted at the thought, and it'was natural that when he first saw this beautiful, tall girl, with her wonderful blue eyes, he loved her.

The impression which the young captain made on Sophie was scarcely less favorable. Their constant intercourse increased their mutual admiration, snd Koltoff and Sophie de Narischkin were soon inseparable, and both found it so natural to love one another that they never mentioned the subject or made provisions for the future. All the more did the world busy itself with them Sophie was named as Captain Koltoff and Sophie de Narischkin were soon inseparable, and both found it so natural to love one another that they never mentioned the subject or made provisions for the future.

All the more did the world busy itself with them. b’ophie was named as Captain Kelt ff’s bride, and the marriage day was fixed upon by idle tongues long before the first kiss had passed between them. Of course report carried these things to the Countess Mentschitoff, and the beautiful woman made the sudden discovery that she loved the man upon whom she had imposed such ingenious tests, whom she had so heartlessly repulsed, with all her passionate nature; she was nearly devoured by jealousy, and determined she would make any sacrifice to b r ing him again at her feet. * He loves me still, ’ her egotism prompted her —* it is only because of my cruel treatment that he threw himself in the arms of another. What charm can a simple country girl have for him ?’ A word from her, the beautiful, elegant, cultered woman, and he was her slave as before.

She wrote him a few lines, in a conde scending vein, giving him permission to call on her. But Koltoff was impolite enough to pay no attention to her note, and did not avail himself of the high privilege she held out to him. She wrote again ;it already read like an apology, and as Koltoff treated this also with indifference; she actually craved his forgiveness and entreated him to come to her, Koltoff gave no sign of life. Now the pride of the beautiful coquette was crushed; the man whom she loved, without whom happiness was unattainable, she had lest; he belonged to another, whom he loved and who loved him. She wrote him again : she confessed her love, she betrayed her paision, her jealously, and begged for an interview. Koltoff answered her firmiy and politely, told her that he had nothing to communicate to her, and nothing thst she could say would alter the situation. As she had been disappointed in her ideal, he had also forgotten his former illusions, and no power in the world could bring him to love her again. He asked her that she would not insist on an interview ; it would only be painful to both.

It so happened that two days after the countess had received Koltoff’s letter, ho met her coach in a narrow thoroughfare where evasion was impossible.

The countess ordered the coachman to halt, and without waiting until the footman descended, opened the door herself, and extended both her hands to Koltoff.

The captain however did not take them, but bowed coldly, and asking after her health, left her with ceremonious politeness.

The countess threw herself in a corner of her gilded coach and burst into tears.

Chapter IX. THE INSULT AND THE CHALLENGE

The short Russian autumn was followed by a severe winter ; the northern capital was wrapped in its shroud of snow; the poor |classeß fathered in their and taverns, the wealthy and nobles around the fire-places in their spacious palaces ; concerts succeeded the theatre, and sociables vied with balls,

The Count l ss Lubina M"ntichikoff seemed to have forgotten her admber, and < aprain Koltoff and Sophie de Mariechkin wire not yet officially engaged. Tne author of ‘ Man and Nature had pub* h'shed another book. ' Speculations on the Progress of the Sou 1 / with the aid of the French ds cing-master, Monsieur Predrix, and had earned the g od opird n of the H. Petersburgh bureaux d'esprit and the empress. At the first court ball of the season he appeared with the consciousness of being regarded as a man of genius, and felt the favor o f the empress surrounding him like a halo. He did not, as was his custom, mingle with his gay comrades, ogle the ladies and criticise their toi’ettes, but sought the c mpany of certain famous diplomats, and professors of St Petersburgh Academy of ’’eience

His brow wrinkled as though engaged in deep thought ; he greeted Sophie de Narischkin when she entered with a cool, polite bow, and scarcely noticed the founteps Mentchikoff a a she swept proudly pisthm. In the throng the two ladies faced each other for the first time and exchanged looks of hatred.

For all her macnificent presence, attired in a heavy white robe covered wilh bouquets of roses, exquisitely embroidered, blazing with diamonds, Sophie could bear the countess’ penetrating, threatening lobk, for was she not the victor? and the countess confessed to herself that this slight girl with the great, true, blue eyes was fascinating. This short tete-a-tete of the two ladies was interrupted by the entrance of the empress. All eyes sought the genial sovereign, who moved through the vast chamber with natural grace and majesty, ‘ atherine was still beautiful and understood the art of showing off her beauty to the best advantage. She wore a dress of an exquisite violet velvet, cut low and revealing her glorious bust. Her hair, combed high, was powdered snowy white, and was crowned by a Grecian cross in diamo r ds, while between the dainty little curls, which fell on her brow, gleamed diamonds, like great tears. On this evening she seemed in particularly good spirits ; received the homage of her Court with graceful condescension; conversed, a charming smile on her lips, with various persons, and finally began, in an amiable tone, a lengthy conversation with the zoologist I agetschnikoff, at that time one of the best known members of the St. Petersburgh Academy, and the handsomest man in Eussia,

The orchestra opened the ball, according to the Eastern custom, witn a polonaise. The Empress took the arm of Princs Panin and stepped with him to the head of the column. The second dance was the m nuet.

The Countess Lubina Mentschikoff driven to desperation by the conduct of Koltoff, who slighted her. the proud beauty, the ruler of four thousand hearts, adopted a tyrannic measure to force the man, who had a short time ago been her devoted slave, to her side, She exercised her prerogative as major and ordered the captain to dance with her.

But Koltoff committed the unheard of offence of refusing to do her bidding; he sent an apology by the page whom she had sent, and—danced with So(hie de Narischkin, who eclipsed every Isdy present and was the object of universal admiration. This was too much.

The orchestra had played but a few bars, when the countess, who had lost all control over herself, crossed through the figure to insult Sophie de Narischkin.

(To hr enntinufld.)