Here he began to stammer, put his finger to his forehead as if straining his wit, and suddenly said, looking with sheepish eyes on those present, "Unless fortune changes." And all blurted out at once in chorus, "Of course it will change." "And we will yet pay for our wrongs." "And come to fortune." "And to office." "God bless the innocent! Our prosperity!" "Your health!" cried Pan Andrei. "Your words are holy, Yendrus," said Kokosinski, placing his chubby face before Kmita. "God grant us improvement of fortune!" Healths began to go around, and tufts to steam. All were talking, one interrupting the other; and each heard only himself, with the exception of Rekuts, who dropped his head on his breast and slumbered. Kokosinski began to sing, "She bound the flax in bundles," noting which Uhlik took a flageolet from his bosom and accompanied him. Ranitski, a great fencer, fenced with his naked hand against an unseen opponent, repeating in an undertone, "You thus, I thus; you cut, I strike,--one, two, three, check!" The gigantic Kulvyets-Hippocentaurus stared fixedly for some time at Ranitski; at last he waved his hand and said: "You're a fool! Strike your best, but still you can't hold your own before Kmita with a sabre." "For no one can stand before him; but try yourself." "You will not win against me with a pistol." "For a ducat a shot." "A ducat! But where and at what?" Ranitski cast his eyes around; at last he cried out, pointing at the skulls, "Between the antlers, for a ducat!" "For what?" asked Kmita. "Between the antlers, for two ducats, for three! Bring the pistols!" "Agreed!" cried Kmita. "Let it be three. Zend, get the pistols!" All began to shout louder and louder, and bargain among themselves; meanwhile Zend went to the antechamber, and soon returned with pistols, a pouch of bullets, and a horn with powder. Ranitski grasped for a pistol. "Is it loaded?" asked he. "Loaded." "For three, four, five ducats!" blustered Kmita, drunk. "Quiet! you will miss, you will miss." "I shall hit at that skull between the antlers--one! two!" All eyes were turned to the strong elk-skull fixed in front of Ranitski. He straightened his arm; the pistol turned in his palm. "Three!" cried Kmita. The shot sounded; the room was filled with powder smoke. "He has missed, he has missed! See where the hole is!" cried Kmita, pointing with his hand at the dark wall from which the bullet had torn out a brighter chip. "Two shots each time!" "No; give it to me," cried Kulvyets. At that moment the astonished servants ran in at the sound of the shot. "Away! away!" called Kmita. "One! two! three!" Again the roar of a shot; this time the pieces fell from the bone. "But give us pistols too!" shouted all at the same time.