The Duel

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It was eight o’clock in the morning—the time when officers, civil servants and visitors would habitually swim in the sea after a hot, airless night and then proceed to the pavilion for coffee or tea. Ivan Andreich Laevsky, a young man around twenty-eight years of age, a lanky blond, wearing a Ministry of Finance service cap and shoes, on his way for a swim, encountered many acquaintances along the shore and among them his friend the military doctor, Samoylenko.

With a big, closely cropped head, sans neck, and red, large-nosed, with bushy black eyebrows and gray side-whiskers, fat, bloated, yes and with a hoarse military basso on top of it all, this Samoylenko left the unpleasant impression of being a Bourbon and a braggadocio on every new arrival, however, two or three days would pass after the first acquaintanceship and his face would begin to seem unusually kind, sweet and even attractive. Overlooking his somewhat boorish tone and awkwardness, one could see this was a peace-loving man, infinitely kind, good-natured and accountable. He spoke informally with everyone in town, loaned money to all, provided medical treatment to all, played matchmaker, arbitrator, hosted picnics where he roasted kebabs and prepared very tasty ukha from gray mullet; he was constantly petitioning and inquiring on behalf of someone and always found something to cheer. According to popular opinion, he was without sin and harbored only two weaknesses: first, he was embarrassed by his own kindness and attempted to mask it behind a steely stare and an artificial boorishness; and second, he loved for medical assistants and soldiers to call him “Your Excellency,” although he was merely a Councilor of State.

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