he have said had any one whispered to him at that instant that the
'artist' presented to him was also employed in the culinary art! But
Pantaleone assumed an air as though taking part in the preliminaries
of duels was for him the most everyday affair: probably he was
assisted at this juncture by the recollections of his theatrical
career, and he played the part of second simply as a part. Both he and
the sub-lieutenant were silent for a little.

'Well? Let us come to business!' Pantaleone spoke first, playing with
his cornelian seal.

'By all means,' responded the sub-lieutenant, 'but ... the presence of
one of the principals ...'

'I will leave you at once, gentlemen,' cried Sanin, and with a bow he
went away into the bedroom and closed the door after him.

He flung himself on the bed and began thinking of Gemma ... but the
conversation of the seconds reached him through the shut door. It was
conducted in the French language; both maltreated it mercilessly,
each after his own fashion. Pantaleone again alluded to the dragoons
in Padua, and Principe Tarbuski; the sub-lieutenant to '_exghizes
lecheres_' and '_goups de bistolet a l'amiaple_.' But the old man
would not even hear of any _exghizes_! To Sanin's horror, he suddenly
proceeded to talk of a certain young lady, an innocent maiden, whose
little finger was worth more than all the officers in the world ...
(_oune zeune damigella innoucenta, qu'a elle sola dans soun peti doa
vale pin que tout le zouffissie del mondo_.'), and repeated several
times with heat: 'It's shameful! it's shameful!' (_E ouna onta, ouna
onta_!) The sub-lieutenant at first made him no reply, but presently