The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-05-30

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such an extent all in an instant, be-
cause 1t had CHANGED TO please him to
look insolently at womanP And the
Vicomte repeated aloud:
What brute!m
Then he stood still and thought, his
eyes fixed on the card. Anger rose
slowly within him against that bit OF
paper, hateful anger, mingled with a
strange feeling OF uneasiness.
What stupid story it was. He
took a penknife that lay open under
his hand and drove it through the
printed name, as though he had
stabbed a human being.
So he must fight duel! Would he
choose a sword or pistol, for he con-
sidered himself the insulted party.
There was less risk with the sword;
but with the pistol there was the
| chance of making his adversary give
ground. It's very rarely that duel with
swords ends fatally, reciprocal pru-
denee prevents the combatants holding
themselves in guard, near enough,
each to each other, for a swords point
to penetrate very deeply. With the
pistol, he risked his life in earnest, but
then he might come out of the affair
with all the honors Of the situation.
He said aloud
1T is necessary to be firm. He will
be afraid" The sound Of his voice
made him shiver, and he looked about
him He felt very nervous. He drank
still another glass of water, then be-
gan undressing, preparatory to get
ting into bed. As soon as he was in
bed he blew out his light and closed
his eyes. He thought.
IL have all tomorrow before me to
take care of my affairs. Sleep first so
as TO be calm.
He lay very warm between his sheets,
but unable to get to sleep. He turned
over, turned back again, stayed five
minutes fat on his back, then lay on
the left side, then rolled over to the
right.
He was still thirsty. He rose and
drank once more. Then an anxiety
seized him.
Gam | going to be afraid?"
Why should his heart beat so wildly
at each well-known noise in his
chamber. When the clock was going
to strike, the tiny click of the spring
as it raised up, caused him to give
bound in his bed. and he had to open
his mouth in order to breathe for sew
eral seconds, so oppressed was he.
He began arguing with himself on
the possibility of the thing.
Shall / be afraid?"
No, certainly not; he would not be
afraid, since he was resolved to go to
the very end; since he decidedly
wished to fight and not to tremble
But. he felt himself so profoundly
troubled that he asked himself:
''Can man have fear in spite of
HIMSELF" And this doubt invaded
| him, this uneasiness, :his horror; If a
force more powerful than his will, rul-
ing him with irresistible strength,
were to obtai-. control OF him. whay
would become OF him? Yes, what
would happenP Certainly he would
be on the ground, since he wished to
be there. But were he to falter?
Were he to lose consciousnessp And
he thought of his situation, his repu-
tatin and his name.
All at once he felt that he must get
| up and look at himself in the glass.
| He prelighted his candle. When he
saw his face in the polished surface he
scarcely knew himself. 1t seemed as
though he had never seen himself be-
| fore. His eyes We're enormous, and he
was pale; yes, certainly he was pale,
very pale. He still stood in front OF
the mirror, thrusting his tongue out as
if to test the state of his health, when
on a sudden this thought flashed
across his mind:
DAY after tomorrow, at this very
hour, | may, perhaps. be dead" and
again his heart began to throb fu-
| riously.
Day after tomorrow, at this very
hour, | may, perhaps, be dead. That
human being in front of me, that Self
which / see in the mirror will no
longer be in existence. How can this
beP l am here, | see myself l feel
that i am alive, and in four and twenty
hours | shall be lying in this bed, with
closed eyes, cold, inanimate, disap-
peared."
| He turned toward the bed and saw
himself, distinctly, stretched out on
his back, in the same sheets he had
just left. He had the sunken-in face
of dead person and the phable hands
that are never to mose again. He
grew afraid of his bed, and so as to
look at it no longer, he went into the
smoking took cigar mechanic
ally and. lighted it and went again to
pacing up and down the room. He
was cold-he went toward the bell to
waken his valet. but stopped, his hand
raised to the rope.
That man will see that am afraid. :"
He did not ring, but made up fire
himself His hands twitched nervous
1 ly when they came in contact with any
thing. His brain grew bewildered;
hisconfused thoughts were now vague,
now harsh and now sad.
Ceaselessly he asked of himself:
What am ! TO do? What is to be-
come Of mep"
His whole frame shook in convul-
sive trembliugs; he rose, crossed TO
the window and threw open the cur
| tains.
Dawn was coming. The rosy heaven
tinged the roofs and walls of the city
with its own hue. great mass OF
light enveloped the waking world like
a kiss from the rising sun, and, with
this light cheerful, swift and brutal