All the necessary formalities having been arranged, the seconds attempted to reconcile the combatants. Abellino thereupon offered to withdraw his challenge under two conditions: (1) If the challenged, in the name of the firm he was defending, publicly declared that there was no intention to insult in the advertisement complained of, and (2) if Mr. Boltay caused to be inserted in the same newspaper in which the offensive advertisement had appeared a notification to the effect that Kárpáthy had given the amount in question to the girl's guardian from purely artistic motives of the noblest description.
Alexander's seconds laid these conditions before him.
He immediately sent one of them back. Did
they wish to insult him? He meant in the plainest, most unmistakable manner, and with the fullest knowledge of what he was doing, to take all the responsibility of the alleged insult on his own shoulders, and he had nothing to retract.
Ah! he had far better reasons for fighting than the mere love of swagger. There was nothing for it, therefore, but to fight.
Conrad thereupon turned towards the surgeon whom they had brought with them, and roared in a stentorian voice—
"Have you your instruments with you? Then, mind you hold them in readiness. There will not be much need of blood-letting, I fancy. What! not brought your bone-saw with you, eh? My friend, your thoughtlessness is disgraceful! It happens in duels sometimes that a man is not shot through the head or the heart straight off; but the bullet may hit him in the arm or leg, and then if the bone is injured and he has to wait for an amputation till he is carried into town erysipelas may set in."
"Take your places, gentlemen! take your places!" shouted Rudolf, putting an end to this cruel prolonging of the agony.
Abellino thereupon pierced his fourth linden leaf at twenty-five paces.
"Those pistols must be put aside, as they are evidently old acquaintances," said Rudolf. "Mine are new."