Pan Stanislav made somewhat of a wry face, and answered,-- "I have seen Gantovski." "And what?" "He is a fool." "He is that, first of all. Hast thou spoken to him in my name?" "Not in thy name. As a relative of Pan Plavitski, I told him that he had given Pan Plavitski the worst service in the world." "You gave no explanations?" "None. Hear me, Mashko: it is a question for thee of complete satisfaction; it is no point for me that ye should shoot each other. In virtue of what I have told Gantovski, he is ready to agree to all thy conditions. Happily, he has committed himself to Yamish. Yamish is a mild, prudent man, who understands also that Gantovski has acted like an idiot, and will be glad to give him a lesson." "Very well," said Mashko. "Give me a pen and piece of paper." "Thou hast them at the desk." Mashko sat down and wrote. When he had finished, he gave the written sheet to Pan Stanislav, who read as follows:-- "I testify this day that I attacked Pan Mashko while I was drunk, in a state of unconsciousness, and without giving myself account of what I was saying. To-day, having become sober, in presence of my seconds, the seconds of Pan Mashko, and the persons who were present at the scene, I acknowledge my act as rude and senseless, and turn with the greatest sorrow and contrition to the good sense and kindness of Pan Mashko, begging him for forgiveness, and acknowledging publicly that his conduct was and is in everything above the judgment of men like me." "Gantovski is to declaim this, and then subscribe it," said Mashko. "This is devilishly unmerciful; no one will agree to it," said Pan Stanislav. "Dost thou acknowledge that this fool has permitted to himself something unheard of with reference to me?" "I do." "And remember what result this adventure may have for me?" "It is impossible to know that." "Well, I know; but I will tell thee only this much,--those ladies will regret from their souls that they are bound to me, and will use every pretext which will excuse them before society. That is certain; I am ruined almost beyond rescue." "The devil!" "Thou canst understand now that what is troubling me must be ground out on some one, and that Gantovski must pay me for the injustice in one form or another." "Neither have I any tenderness for him. Let it be so," said Pan Stanislav, shrugging his shoulders. "Kresovski will come for thee to-morrow morning at nine." "Very well." "Then, till we meet again. By the way, should you see Plavitski to-morrow, tell him that his relative, Panna Ploshovski, from whom he expected an inheritance, has died in Rome. Her will was here with her manager, Podvoyni, and is to be opened to-morrow." "Plavitski knows of that already, for she died five days ago."