“You’re innocent?” she asked. “Innocent?”
“Yes. I acted honestly. You will see. I’ll show you; I’ll prove it to you.…”
“Answer me.—You advised the Princess to come here.—You persuaded her!”
“I persuaded her.”
“You convinced her of the possibility of a marriage with Orloff. No prevarication. You hear; give me a straight answer,” repeated this woman, trembling with emotion.
“The count himself assured me, on his word of honour, that he meant marriage.”
“Perfidious betrayer! Death to you!” cried the stranger, throwing her hands wildly about.
I had no time to step back. A bullet whizzed by me. I was blinded by the smoke. I caught the mad woman by the wrist. She began struggling with all her might, her face distorted with passion, and once more fired at me, luckily with no more success than at the first time. Wresting the pistol from her hands, I threw it in the garden. The noise had attracted the servants. I heard knocks at the door. I flew to open it, and trying to appear as calm as possible, I assured them that having unloaded my pistol at the window, it had gone off, but that nothing had happened. They all left me and went away, throwing side-glances at me. Having shut the hall door, I returned to the stranger. I was in a state of mind impossible to describe.
“Ah! ah! what have you done? How could you? And for what? Why?”
My visitor put her head on the table and sobbed wildly.