Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-04-08
AFTER THE DUEL.

"Serious? Very serious, yes"
Nevertheless, he urged, "I have not
killed him; quick, tell mel" They an
swered him no more. Breabhlessly he bent
forward between the group of seconds and
doctors-four seconds in all, doctor for
each principal-wishing to see for himself,
but not daring to go farther.
Again he stammered low:
81 beseech you, tell mel 1t is slight, is it
not-only slight wound?"
Still they were silent. Inthat dumbness
of all, even the friends that had stood by
him, he OWNED unspoken reprobation-
maybe dull anger.
Alas! he recalled for himself now, that
the blade had gone to the hilt; he had felt
it, felt it gliding through the flesh. But
the point, perhaps, had struck a bone,
which stopped it therel And hope revived
within him
But then why did they answer him moth
ing? Why then did they crowd with such
eager attention about him that had fallen,
with hanging arms and staring eyes?
Suddenly deep breath from the doctors
.-"Deadl'--and that group with out
stretched hands recoiled. He was nearly
thrown down by the push, as if they chased
him away, unwilling even to look upon his
face.
"Dead! dead!' repeated he, with cries
like the howlings of q frantic beast, and
then he began to run through the garden
that a mutual friend had protfered for the
duel, knocking his brow against the tree
trunks, but insensible to the shock; on
through the courtyard and out upon the
shaded road, sword in hand.
He had the air, running thus along the
waters edge, of a criminal evading pursuit
so hurried was his flight, so furtive, with
elbows glued to his hips and head bowed
down. What had he done with the bloody
rapier? Tossed it into the river or the
thicket, he did not know which.
He fled with but one clear thought, with
but one clear desire-to be far, farther and
always farther away from that place where
he had killed a mani
By force of running, his breath at last
failed him; he could run no more, but fell
to the grass beside the towpath. There, in
enforced immobility. his scattered senses
came back to him; grew coherent, and he
comprehended with horror all that had
taken place.
He whom he had killed in this duel was
his friend, his best and oldest friend. Chill
dren together in a suburban quarter, they
had played together in the road; lads to
gether. they had found themselves at the
city college, working and frolicing to-
gether still, and seeing no one but each
other.
Then students together in Paris, in a Bo
hemian youth Of loves without a morrow,
of miseries without sorrow, of happy strolls
in the Clancart woods with girls that
laughed all the afternoon and with whom,
when evening came, they returned afoot
for lack of means to hire carriage; OF
nights dining on credit, wherever they
could get it, and of sleeping wherever they
could put their heads-inseparable com
panions always and carried away always by
the same folly!
But then they had not always staid
mad. Age brought peaceful labors and
serious thoughts; but love for each other
that was still extravaganza, camaraderie
of unbroken friendship, united ambitions
joint chimeras, mutual working together
to enrich themselves, and the greatest
happiness of each the knowledge that each
had succeeded and was as happy as him
self
Then she appeared!
She, the adorable and adored! And even
in this moment Of frightful anguish he
recalled with a throb Of ecstasy the time
he had seen her first a young girl hur
riedly lowering a window shade, but not
so quickly that he had not recognized all
the heaven in her eyes.
It was on a trip TO city where he knew
no one that he saw her, thus behind the
glass, but, no matter how, he found q
means of presenting himself to the two old
people with whom she lived, she, an orphan
whom they had taken in for charity's
sake.
Eth? She was poor, then? Yes, but what
mattered that since she was so pretty, sc
honest and SC sweet that one believed on
approaching her that one was passing q
near but invisible thicket of chronicles.
She loved him, he married her, and i'm
mediately, provincial born as she was, she
became, in the luXuries of her toilet and
art, an exquisite Parisienne. For a long
long time, then, he possessed the double
and incompatible joy of having for wife
the most charming of women, and for com
rade, guest OF host the dearest and most
loyal of friends
Yes, as I say, e long, long time, till that
hideous evening when he opened dool
with rapturous pleasure
Why, with teeth and nails had he moi
thrown himself upon them then and there
and torn, bit and killed them? Because
the stupefaction of the disaster rendered
helpless in him the ayenging power; be
cause he was as one nonexistent in the be
wilderment of his sorrow, and when he
sought to leap forward he fell like log te
the floor.
Only next day he came to himself with
cries of jealous rage that he had allowed
him to escape, since he was unable te
etrangle her. His seconds had been dis
patched at once to the disloyal one who
had robbed him of his all,
AS for her, the cuiprit, though he DID
not see her again, he felt no anger against
her. He had loved her too much to be
able to hate her. He sought and found ex-
cuses for her If she had turned from him
it was because he had not known how to
make her love for him continue; and II she
did love another it was because she was
unable to keep herself from loving him.
She was not Of those who betray their
duties for kiss without tenderness Only
q true love had forced her TO the fault.
Very certainly he would no more touch
lips that other lips had kissed, and they
were eternally separated; but he neither
detested nor scorned her-she had yielded
blindly to irresistible love.
All, par example! but the ferocious fury
with which he hated the treacherous
friend During all the morning that pre-
ceded the duel he dreamed of nothing but
the intoxication Of feeling his sword enter
ing that base flesh; of bulying it there,
ueeper and deeper still; then the iron With
drawn, what joy without parallel to see
the squirt Of the hot, steamy blood! Face
to face on the dueling ground, he had
trembled little, but it was with rage, not
fear
Everything learned in the fencing hall
he had long since forgotten. He barred his
breast boldly and never once dreamed OF
parrying thrusts, thinking only Of reaching
him, piercing him and killing him. The
sword even vexed him at times. Itseemed
to him that he would have been able to
finish sooner could he only have used his
hands to seize, choke and throttle himl
And then, at last, with q cry of joy he had
sent home the blade to his hearth
Alas now he was here on this road
Having glutted his hate, there remained
to him only a frightful, mournful weari
ness. He had killed him! Yes, killed him:
he was there, behind him, that thing, mys.
terious and formidable-a corpse. a corpse
that he had made; and that dead, mani
mate body had once been the ivingbody