Public opinion seemed to be summed up in these words from a man of personal courage. Adler's friends were silent, the other guests embarrassed, and the more sensitive took their hats to leave the room. At that moment the door was flung wide open and Ferdinand hurried in, accompanied by one of his friends. He noticed the judge at once, and not knowing what had happened, asked his companion to introduce him. "Right you are!" said the friend, advancing towards the judge. "What a lucky chance!" he exclaimed. "Adler is just going to give a dinner here, and as you have fallen into the trap, we will not let you go. But you don't know one another?" There was a general silence in the room during the introduction. "Pan Adler--Pan Zapora." Ferdinand held out his hand. "I have long wished to make your acquaintance." "Delighted," said Zapora, without moving. Some of the guests smiled maliciously. Ferdinand grew pale; for a moment he was confused. But he pulled himself together at once and changed his tactics. "I have wished to make your acquaintance," he continued, "in order to thank you for the correspondence about my father in the newspapers." Zapora fixed him with a severe look. "About your father?" he asked. "I have written only one letter about your father, and that was to the village mayor about the summons." Adler was boiling with rage. "It was myself, then, you wrote about in the comic papers?" Zapora did not lose his calmness for an instant. He only gripped his stick tighter, and said: "You are quite mistaken. I leave correspondence in the comic papers to young men of no occupation who wish to become notorious by any means at their disposal." Adler lost his self-control. "You are insulting me!" he shouted. "On the contrary, I will not even retract my last statement in order not to offend you." The excited young man was on the point of throwing himself upon Zapora. "You shall give me satisfaction!" he panted. "With pleasure." "At once!" "Well, I must have my dinner first; I am hungry," said Zapora coolly. "It does not take me more than an hour; after that I shall be at your disposal in my house." And nodding to his acquaintances, he slowly left the room. Ferdinand's banquet was not a success. Many of the guests left before dinner; others shammed gaiety. But Ferdinand himself was in excellent spirits. His first glass of wine soothed him; the second gave his excitement a pleasant flavour. He was delighted at the prospect of a duel, especially of a duel with Zapora, and he had not the slightest doubt of his success. "I shall give him a lesson in shooting," he whispered to one of his seconds, "and that will be the end of it." And he thought: "That will do more to put my position right than any amount of dinners." The more experienced adventurers, of whom there was no lack in the room, had to admit, when they looked at him, that he had grit and pluck of a certain kind.