Повести Белкина / The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin

“I don’t know what was the matter with me, or how it was that he managed to make me do it … but I fired and hit that picture.”

The Count pointed with his finger to the perforated picture; his face burned like fire; the Countess was whiter than her own handkerchief; and I could not restrain an exclamation.

“I fired,” continued the Count, “and, thank Heaven, missed my aim. Then Silvio – at that moment he was really terrible – Silvio raised his hand to take aim at me.

Suddenly the door opens, Masha rushes into the room, and with a shriek throws herself upon my neck. Her presence restored to me all my courage.

“�My dear,’ said I to her, �don’t you see that we are joking? How frightened you are! Go and drink a glass of water and then come back to us; I will introduce you to an old friend and comrade.’

“Masha still doubted.

“�Tell me, is my husband speaking the truth?’ said she, turning to the terrible Silvio.

�Is it true that you are only joking?’

“�He is always joking, Countess,’ replied Silvio: �once he gave me a slap in the face in jest; on another occasion he sent a bullet through my cap in jest; and just now, when he fired at me and missed me, it was all in jest. And now I feel inclined to have a joke.’

“With these words he raised his pistol to take aim at me – right before her! Masha threw herself at his feet.

“�Rise, Masha; are you not ashamed!’ I cried in a rage. �And you, sir, will you stop making fun of a poor woman? Will you fire or not?’

“�I will not,’ replied Silvio. �I am satisfied. I have seen your confusion, your alarm. I forced you to fire at me. That is sufficient. You will remember me. I leave you to your conscience.’

“Then he turned to go, but pausing in the doorway, and looking at the picture that my shot had passed through, he fired at it almost without taking aim, and disappeared.

My wife had fainted away; the servants did not venture to stop him, the mere look of him filled them with terror. He went out upon the steps, called his coachman, and drove off before I could recover myself.”

The Count fell silent. In this way I learned the end of the story, whose beginning had once made such a deep impression upon me. The hero of it I never saw again.