The seconds interfered at this, however; even his own men protesting. I stood while they settled it; and then turned away to dress.
Nikolitch was loud in praises of me as I put on my coat, but regretted I had not wounded him; as he might want to have another meeting.
“I shouldn’t meet him again. It’s an additional insult that he should have come out in such a state. And you’d better let him know I shan’t meet him again. If he monkeys with me again I’ll settle it in a more American fashion; and if there’s to be another fight of the kind, it shall begin where this morning’s has ended.”
To my astonishment Nikolitch carried the message to one of the Prince’s seconds and then we left the ground and drove back to the city.
I kept Nikolitch and Captain Astic to breakfast, and they could speak of nothing but the fight; criticising it with almost as much fond enthusiasm as if they had been experts describing a good game of baseball.
I was glad when they left me, indeed, and I could settle down to a quiet review of the situation. Nikolitch was to see me again in the afternoon; and he declared joyously and with a certain air of rather self-congratulatory importance, that they would both have a busy time in seeing that a true account of the duel was spread about.
“You are a fortunate man, Mr. Bergwyn, and will be a popular one,” said Captain Astic. “The Prince is thoroughly well hated and people will be ready to make much of you.”
I did not regard it at all in that light. It was Gatrina’s good-will, not that of the crowd, which I sought; and I felt she would hear with strong prejudice that I had allowed myself to be drawn into a quarrel which she would know well enough could only have arisen on her account.
Estranged as she already was by this monstrous story of my secret understanding with Elma, she would be quite incapable of appreciating my motives or feelings; and the fact that I could not get to her to explain everything irritated me almost beyond endurance.
It was my helplessness in that direction which tried me more than anything. She had set up a barrier between us which I could not break through. There was nothing I could do but fret and fume and pace up and down the room and down and up again, in vain imaginings as to how things were to end.