George.--Do not approach me. I have seen all. You are a villain and a coward. Drahomir--George! George.--In order not to soil my hand, I throw in your face our broken friendship, my trampled happiness, lost faith in God and man, endless contempt for you and myself. Drahomir.--Enough. George.--Do not approach me, because I will lose my self-command and will sprinkle these walls with your brains. No, I shall not do that--because I have promised. But I slap your face, you villain. Do you hear me? Drahomir (after struggling with himself for a moment).--Such an insult I swear before God and man I will wash out with blood. George.--Yes, with blood (pointing to the doctor). Here is the witness of these words. Doctor.--At your service, gentlemen. END OF ACT IV. * * * * * ACT V. The same drawing-room. SCENE I. Jozwowicz enters reading a dispatch. The result of the ballotting until now: Jozwowicz, 613; Husarski, 604. At ten o'clock: Jozwowicz, 700; Husarski, 700. At 11 o'clock: Jozwowicz, 814; Husarski, 750. The fight is hot. The final results will be known at three o'clock. (He consults his watch.) SCENE II. Jozwowicz. George. Doctor.--You are here? George.--You are as afraid of me as of a ghost. Doctor.--I thought you were elsewhere. George.--I am going directly from here to fight. I have still an hour. The duel will take place at Dombrowa, on the Miliszewski's estate--not far from here. Doctor.--Too near from here. George.--Miliszewski insisted. And then you will be here to prevent the news from being known until as late as possible. Doctor.--Doctor Krzycki will be with you? George.--Yes. Doctor.--Ask him to send me the news at once. I would go with you, but I must be here. George.--You are right. If I am killed? Doctor.--You must not think of that. George.--There are some people who are cursed from the moment they are born, and for whom death is the only redemption. I belong to that class. I have thought everything over quietly. God knows that I am more afraid of life than of death. There is no issue for me. Suppose I am not killed--tell me what will become of me, if I kill the man whom she loves? Tell me! I will live without her, cursed by her. Do you know that when I think of my situation, and what has happened, I think some bad spirit has mixed with us and entangled everything so that only death can disentangle it. Doctor.--A duel is very often ended by a mere wound. George.--I insulted Drahomir gravely, and such an insult cannot be wiped out by a wound. Believe me, one of us must die. But I came to talk with you about something else. Doctor.--I am listening to you.