The Wrong Man

Chapter I

It was on a chilly evening of early spring that Lieutenant Milnovics sat down in his lodging to write a letter to his father. This had been a busy and somewhat exciting day, and most of his comrades were still talking over events in the dining-room of the Black Eagle, the one hotel of Lohatyn. But in spite of his twenty-six years, Stepan Milnovics was not sociable, neither had he any money to spend upon the bottles of more or less mediocre wine which formed the unavoid able adjunct to these convivial gatherings. To-day he had come home even earlier than was his wont, because of the letter which pressed upon his mind. He knew that he would have no leisure A for it to-morrow, and he knew that its arrival was already being anxiously looked for. When he had hung up his wet cloak — for it was raining outside — he sat down at a small deal table and dipped his pen into a huge glass inkstand without a lid, of the sort that is in use in public schools.

" My beloved and reverend Father," he began to write upon half a sheet of foolscap paper, — " I know that you will be looking for this impatiently, although I am writing at the earliest moment that is possible. It is barely two hours since the cavalry inspector left us, after what, I am thankful to say, has been a successful day — for me, though not for all of us. There are two or three of my comrades who at this moment are, no doubt, in a much worse humour than I am ; for the inspector speaks freely when he is roused, and he is easily roused, especially to displeasure. I am sorry for them — but why do the)- not work? There are no presents to be had in this world, I have learnt that already ; everything has to be bought, either with work or with money. You know that I have worked hard all winter; the inspector's words to me to-day were some reward for what has been at moments a very bitter slavery.

My courage has never ebbed, but to-day it has risen another degree. Do not fear, my poor father, — I always told you that I had in me the makings of a soldier." Lieutenant Milnovics raised his head for an instant, believing that he heard footsteps upon the wooden staircase, — he fancied even that he distinguished the subdued rattle of spurs. But as everything seemed quiet he went on writing. "Wait until I get the next star on my collar. Fate has not been very kind to us, but we will conquer Fate yet ; one only has to be strong and patient and not to forget that ' " Come in," he said, impatiently, for there was a low knock at the door. An officer in the same Lancer uniform which Milnovics wore entered the room, followed im mediately by a second, who carefully closed the door. " They have come to drag me back to their drinking-bout," was Milnovics's first thought, and an ungracious refusal had all but risen to his lips, when something in the faces of the two young lieutenants arrested his attention and caused the annoyance of the disturbance to sink suddenly out of sight.

He laid down his pen and stood up from his chair, looking in silence from one of his comrades to the other. " We are here as the representatives of Lieu tenant Radford," began the elder of the two officers, a rosy - cheeked youth who was evidently a little nervous, and whose boyish treble shook just perceptibly. He paused, very red in the face, and looked at Milnovics as though he were entreating him to answer. But Milnovics only stared back at him blankly, waiting for what might be coming. " We are here," began the first speaker again, like a school -child repeating its lesson; but at this moment the younger and bolder of the two youths came to his leader's assistance. "We are here in order to receive your instruc tions with regard to the affair between yourself and Lieutenant Radford," he said, jostling aside his comrade as he stepped forward, and speaking with a great deal more energy than the occasion required.

This one had learnt his lesson much better than the other, but, like the other, he talked of a Lieutenant " Rahdfort." "What affair?" Milnovics in his utter aston ishment had almost replied, but he pulled himself together in time, struck by the absurdity of such a question at such a moment. He was now looking into the face of the second speaker, still without in the least comprehending the situa tion. He had stood thus for several seconds when it struck him that he must necessarily say something. " I am entirely at Lieutenant Radford's dis posal," he said, speaking quite in his usual tone and feeling anxious only not to betray his surprise. " We presume that you have chosen your seconds," broke in the younger lieutenant, who by this time had taken the matter entirely into his hands. He had to repeat his question, for Milnovics did not seem to have heard him immediately.

" No, I have not yet chosen my seconds," he said, raising his head. " But I shall communi cate with two of my comrades without delay." Something had occurred to him which seemed to throw a certain amount of light on this matter, — a faint and unsatisfactory light, but neverthe less something a little better than utter darkness. He paused just perceptibly, and then added, "I presume that Lieutenant Radford has spoken to you of the remarks which passed between us last night at supper ?" The two lieutenants exchanged a rapid glance in which a shade of surprise was perceptible, but again it was the younger one who recovered him self first. " Exactly. Those remarks are the reason of our being here. At what place and hour can we meet your representatives?" further inquired the well - instructed youth, as glibly as though this were not his debut in the character of a second.

" In a private room of the hotel and in an hour's time," answered Milnovics, who had com pletely recovered his self-possession. " Does that arrangement suit you ? " " Perfectly," they both replied, in one breath "The two gentlemen whom you will find at the place indicated will by that time have received my instructions and be empowered to act in my name. I think this is all that you require to know. Good evening." A sharp clanking of spurs, a mute salute on either side, and Stepan Milnovics was once more alone in his room, standing beside the table and looking at the door which had just closed. For a brief space he remained thus, lending an ear to the sound of the descending footsteps. Then his eyes left the door and stared fixedly at the fresh, muddy prints marking the spot where Lieutenant Radford's seconds had been standing within the minute.

He felt at this moment what the French describe as " tombe des nues." If Rad ford himself had burst into the room with a bare sword in his grasp, it would scarcely have surprised him more than did this challenge. Radford, of all men in the world, the lieutenant with the golden hair and the English name, who looked so far from savage, and for whose blood he cer tainly was not conscious of thirsting ! The remarks which had passed between them last night had been on the subject of church ceremonies. He tried now to recall what exactly had been said. Somebody at the supper-table had asked Rad ford why he had missed appearing at dinner. "Because I was kicking my heels in church," Radford had replied, " and in a Ruthenian church too. It was my turn to chaperon the men, and, as ill-luck would have it, I hit upon their Palm Sunday.

No end of prostrations. I actually thought they would lick the floor clean by dint of smacking it, — no easy job, I can tell you, for scrubbing is evidently considered a luxury here." " The floors in our churches are washed before every feast-day," Milnovics had remarked, with a somewhat darkening face. " Oh, you're one of them, Milnovics — I forgot," said Radford, lightly. " By the way, perhaps you can tell us what's the object of blessing all that bread and butter, or whatever the stuff is which they say prayers over ? Do the priests dine upon it afterwards ? " " It is not bread and butter," Milnovics replied, in a somewhat sharper tone, " and the priests do not dine upon it. It is bread and salt, and the blessing is symbolical. Surely it would be better not to talk of things which you do not under stand, and which your remarks only help to make ridiculous."

Radford made some indifferent reply, and the conversation drifted to other subjects. This was absolutely all that had passed. Who but a veritable fire-eater could discover here the ground for a challenge? Rather, had it not the appearance of being one of those grounds which are sometimes snatched at as a pretext — used, in fact, as a mark to cover the real cause of a quarrel ? Milnovics knew well enough that such cases were not infrequent, and that whenever, for any reason, it appeared undesirable to make public the real ground of the difference — as especially when the name of a woman was involved — it was quite a common practice to select whatever trifle lay nearest at hand, and which by tacit understanding lent its countenance to the rencontre. But here the theory would not hold. There could be no question of any woman between himself and Lieu tenant Radford, just as little as there existed, to his knowledge, a question of any serious difference between them.

It was nearly incredible, for verily Radford did not look like this sort of man; but here Milnovics reminded himself that he had known this new comrade for barely a month, since it was in February only that Radford had entered the regiment. For anything he knew Radford might be any sort of man. Finding himself beside the table, Milnovics dipped his pen in the ink, as though he were about to finish his uncompleted letter. Twice he read through what he had written, without being able to get at the sense of it. He had lost the thread of what he had meant to say. Besides, what was the use of saying it now ? By to - morrow morning there might be something quite different to say. The meeting would be very early, of course. And then only it flashed upon him that, instead of sitting here, he ought to be looking about him for a pair of seconds, since this duel apparently was a solid fact, and not a mere practical joke.

He took his damp cloak from the wall and put it on. Below it on the boards a pool of rain-water had already collected. His sword, too, was hang ing on the wall ; he unsheathed it and tried the edge with the palm of his hand, half inclined to laugh as he did it. To-morrow morning, was it to be ? Even now he still had some difficulty in taking the matter quite seriously. In the passage outside there was no light, only the reflection of a lamp burning in the window of a house across the street. Milnovics saw that some one was seated at the head of the stairs, and as he approached, a small dusky figure rose, as though to bar his passage. " Herr Lieutenant," said a woman's voice, in unmistakably Jewish accents and in an insinuating undertone, " I have something I could tell the Herr Lieutenant."

" Let me pass," replied Milnovics, shortly. He had recognised Nessi Meerkatz, the daughter of the old Jew in whose house he lodged, a young woman of an extremely loose reputation, whose face, if thoroughly scrubbed, might possibly have been pretty, and whose black hair was for ever in sore need of a comb. "The Herr Lieutenant is always unkind to poor Nessi," said the little Jewess, pretending to whimper ; " none of the other gentlemen are so unkind as he. But I have a good heart ; I will tell him what I know, — only he must ask me. Will not the Herr Lieutenant ask me?" " No. Let me pass, I say." This was not the first time that, while hurrying either in or out of his lodging, he had found the tousled, black-eyed little Jewess in his way, and always with something to say, which he had neither time nor inclination to listen to.

If he had noticed her as anything but a nuisance, it had only been to wonder whether she knew the use of soap. Her insinuating glances and coaxing nasal tone had always been vaguely repulsive to him. " Let me pass, I say," and he brushed past her without ceremony. " But, Herr Lieutenant," she called after him, in a sharper tone, " wait only one little minute, — there is something which I should talk to the Herr Lieutenant about. He will be angry with me, maybe, but then perhaps he will forgive poor Nessi, — for it is his own fault, indeed " Nessi broke off and peered sulkily down the dark staircase. The closing of the house-door had told her that she was wasting her words. "Let him go to perdition!" she muttered, shrugging her plump shoulders and tossing back the untidy locks that were for ever tumbling into her eyes.

Chapter II

At this season of melting snow, when every half mile on a country road meant so many more ounces of mud to be carried home on boots or hoofs, the riding-school was the only spot where a duel could comfortably take place. Seven o'clock was still striking upon the church tower of Lohatyn, and not more than a few passes had been made, when quite suddenly Lieutenant Milnovics's sword fell out of his hand. " Hold ! " cried the seconds. " The matter is concluded," added one of them. And so indeed it was, since "until the first blood drawn " had been the condition settled, and now the blood was dropping fast from Milnovics's arm on to the thick layer of sawdust that covered the riding-school floor. One of Lieutenant Radford's juvenile seconds heaved a secret sigh of relief. The sight of blood had made him feel almost certain that he was going to faint, and he stood by now, looking much whiter than did the wounded man.

Lieutenant Radford lowered his sword, and, coming a few steps forward, stood still again, looking towards the spot where the regimental doctor was already busy with his adversary. He was a tall, powerfully -built young man, with the true Anglo-Saxon breadth of shoulders, with won derfully blue eyes and close - cropped curls of almost too crude a gold. The strain of excitement had scarcely yet relaxed upon his handsome features, but the angry fire which but a minute ago still burned in the blue eyes was already dying out. It was under one of the tall windows that the doctor had placed himself with his patient, for the huge riding-school was as yet but dimly lighted by the early morning light. Having slit open the sleeve of Lieutenant Milnovics's blouse, he glanced towards Radford. "What are you waiting for, Lieutenant Rad ford?

There is going to be no more fighting to-day. You've heard, haven't you, that the matter is concluded ? " " I am not waiting because I want to fight," replied Radford, putting away his sword ; " I am waiting to shake hands with Lieutenant Milnovics whenever you have done with him. There is no more grudge between us now, I hope." " You will have to do it somewhat less vigorously than is your habit," drily replied the doctor, who did not approve of duels ; " unless you handle him like broken glass the haemorrhage will be consider ably increased." " I will be very careful," replied Radford in an unexpectedly submissive tone. A few minutes ago he had felt quite capable of killing his adversary, but he was not capable of harbouring a grudge. The moment that he considered his honour to be satisfied, his anger also was spent.

" I feel certain that this first difference between us will also be the last," he said, looking earnestly at his comrade. " I wish, with all my heart, that it had never occurred. Hang it, Milnovics ! " he burst out upon some new impulse, "what made you choose just this thing of all others to hit out at ? If you had pounced upon anything else I think I could have been quite patient," and he tried to smile, evidently feeling that the situation required to be relaxed. "You would have been welcome to abuse either my horses or my dogs, or even the cut of my moustache, but my troop is the one thing that I really am touchy about." Milnovics had not spoken yet. He now glanced up from the bandage which the doctor was ad justing upon his right elbow. His eyes were full of an undisguised astonishment.

" I have abused neither your horses nor your troop. Why are you bringing in these things now ? " " Well, perhaps ' abused ' is rather too strong a word for the occasion ; let us say that you have made uncomplimentary remarks." " About your troop ? ' "Of course. Why, Milnovics, what makes you so slow to-day ? " The other looked across at him for a moment in silence. " Perhaps I am slow ; at any rate I do not understand yet. I am not aware of having ever made any remark about your troop, either un complimentary or otherwise." The words were so distinctly and deliberately spoken that they were perfectly audible to every one in the riding-school. The seconds on both sides exchanged questioning glances. Evidently there was something here that required clearing up. Radford himself began to look bewildered.

"But, Milnovics, recollect yourself; did you not yesterday, after the close of the inspection, make the remark that my troop had disgraced the squadron in the eyes of the inspector, and that my men looked like nothing so much as potato sacks tied on to the backs of Koniki ? " x "Yesterday?" " Yes, of course, yesterday." "And to whom?" "Why, to — to Nessi Meerkatz. I had not meant to mention her name, but there,— the thing is said now." " And it was on the strength of her report that you challenged me ? " Milnovics again looked at his comrade with something unspeakable in his piercing black eyes, while his somewhat thin lips were drawn a little inwards. Radford reddened with vexation. He under stood already that he had been rash, though he had not fairly acknowledged it even to him self. " What reason had I to doubt her report ?

" he said, speaking faster, for his excitement was be- 1 Small peasant horses. B ginning to rise. "No, she cannot have invented it, — those words certainly were said." " Then somebody else said them. The only time I spoke to Nessi Meerkatz yesterday was to tell her to get out of my way." "You mean that you are the wrong man?" cried Radford, in a voice which rang with con sternation. "For Heaven's sake, say No! Please tell me that you really did make that joke about the potato-sacks ! " And he moved a step nearer, looking almost imploringly towards his comrade. " I am sorry I cannot oblige you. You have heard my assertion." " Then you really are the wrong man ? " " I certainly am not the right one ; not the man who made the remark you have just quoted." "Good God! then why did you accept my challenge ?

" " Because I was given to understand that we were fighting out the question of the church ceremonies." "The church ceremonies,— to be sure. I could think of no better pretext on the spur of the moment, and I wasn't particularly inclined either to have my name coupled with that of that little slut of a Meerkatz, and if I had brought up that remark I'd have had to name my authority, don't you see ? So I just laid hold of our talk at supper, and it was only my seconds who knew what we were really fighting about. Of course, I thought you would understand. Gracious heavens, what a tangle ! What is it I have done ? " " What you shotdd have done would have been to sift the matter a little more carefully before sending me your seconds." " Yes, yes, — it is all true, but I scarcely knew what I was doing.

You know how hard the in spector was upon me, — I suppose it was my own fault, but it put me off my balance. I was feeling excited and sore. I see it all now. But what reason had she to tell lies ? I will shake that girl half out of her skin. Milnovics, can you forgive me ? I don't think I shall be able to forgive myself." He stepped close up to Milnovics and impul sively held out his hand. " You see that I cannot shake hands at this moment," said Milnovics, in a tone which, beside that of the other speaker, sounded a little chilly. " But you can say that you forgive me?" A sharp contraction passed over Milnovics's face; possibly it was caused by the pain of the wound with which the doctor was still busy. He did not answer immediately. " Do not ask me yet," he said, after a moment, hurriedly and low.

" It would be easy to say ' Yes,' but I cannot make pretences. It is too soon. You have done a very foolish thing, and I am suffering for it. I will forgive you if I can, but not now." "Yes, I have done a very foolish thing. The heavens be thanked that no worse harm has come of it ! His arm will be all right again in a few days, will it not, doctor?" " That depends on what you call a few," grumbled the regimental doctor into his grizzled moustache. " I can't say anything until I've properly examined the wound, and there's no light for doing that here. This is only a provisional bandage." " But in a few weeks at least " I tell you that I know absolutely nothing until after the examination. Leave him alone now, he has lost a good deal of blood and he must get home immediately." Radford stood for some moments more, still lost in amazement, then, appearing to recollect something, he turned sharply and left the riding-school in a sudden access of hurry.

A few minutes later the doctor followed with his patient. The seconds still lingered, looking into each other's perplexed faces and exchanging hurried remarks. " I cannot recollect an exactly parallel case," remarked one of Milnovics's seconds. " It was indeed not hard to guess that something was being kept in the background, for the ostensible cause of the quarrel seemed to me from the first to be in adequate, but who could suppose that he had not made sure of what he was about ? " And he looked reproachfully at the two youths who had acted for Radford, and who now stood by some what dejectedly, well aware that a good share of the guilt in this imprudently conducted matter might rightly be imputed to themselves. On leaving the riding-school Lieutenant Rad ford had gone straight to the house of Abraham Meerkatz.

A frail, little, old Jew, who appeared for ever to be staggering under the weight of his white beard, was engaged in getting his crockery shop into order for the day. His face was the colour of a tallow candle, and his long, limp fingers shook continually. The sight of an officer in the doorway at this unexpected hour, and more still, something in the expression of the officer's face, gave him such a " turn " that the earthen ware dish he was holding dropped on to the floor with a dull, unmusical crash. " Where is your daughter ? " demanded Lieu tenant Radford, peremptorily, and still breathing hard, for he had walked fast. " I must speak to her instantly." " My daughter ? Gracious Herr Lieutenant, it is you ? I scarcely knew your face, — what a fright you gave me, — see that dish there, — sixteen kreutzers at the lowest valuation, — it is done for, ■and all because of that fright."

"Where is your daughter, I say?" repeated Radford, with an unpleasant look in his eyes. " My daughter ? Holy Moses ! in her bed, I suppose, — she's never any good to me in the mornings. As if it wasn't bad enough for me to have to take the things off the shelves with this pain in my old back. What a fright, to be sure ; but the gracious Herr Lieutenant is always generous — he will make good to me the sixteen kreutzers, will he not ? " But Radford was already in the passage, having traversed the shop in two strides. "Fourteen kreutzers let it be then, Herr Lieu tenant," whimpered Abraham Meerkatz after him, and receiving no answer, turned back sadly to the contemplation of the green glazed fragments on the floor. Nessi Meerkatz, her toilet but barely completed, was sitting on the edge of her unmade bed, lazily twisting her tangled black hair into a rough knot.

She was not nearly so startled by the sight of a visitor as her father had been, although so stormy an entrance evidently astonished her. "You unhappy creature, have I caught you?" broke out Radford, still breathless with excite ment and haste. "You shall not escape me until you have given an account of your cursed lies. Speak, girl, — what do you mean by your falsehood ? " "Wherefore should I give an account?" an swered Nessi, in a slow, sulky drawl. By the look of his face she knew why he had come, and she was frightened now, though she was trying not to show it. "What do you mean by your lie about the potato-sacks and the Koniki ? " " That isn't a lie. It was said so, and very funny it sounded too," and she laughed uneasily. " But you told me that it was Lieutenant Mil novics who said it ?

" Nessi shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps I told you so." " But he did not say it ! " "Then some one else did." " You confess your lie ? " She shrugged her shoulders again. " How do I know whether it's a lie ? Lieutenant Milnovics may have said the same thing." " Who was it ? " said Radford, peremptorily. Nessi played with a loose button on her bodice, and made no answer. " Who was it ? " and stepping close up to her, his face white with anger, he took her by the arm, not over-gently. "Wail" howled Nessi, collapsing on the in stant. "The Herr Lieutenant wants to kill me, — oh wai ! " "Who was it?" " It was the Herr Lieutenant Brelitz." " Brelitz, was it ? Then why in the name of all the devils did you say it was Milnovics ? " "Because I hate him," snapped out Nessi, through the midst of her tears.

"Never has he looked at me yet. Even yesterday at night when I meant to tell him and he might have put things right, he only pushed me aside." " He was right to push you aside, for you are a venomous little toad. It would have been better for me if I too had gone out of your way. See what you have done, you vile girl, — a great misfortune might easily have happened, — do you know that I have wounded Lieutenant Milnovics in the arm ? " " You might have cut off his arm for anything I care," she snarled ; " I am glad that he is wounded." And her black eyes lit up with a spiteful joy. Radford withdrew his hand, and looked at the small untidy figure with a sense of overpowering disgust ; and yet it was only a few days ago that Nessi Meerkatz had seemed to him quite tolerably attractive. " And if Lieutenant Milnovics had lost his arm through your fault, do you think that would have been the end of this business ?

How do you know that there would not have been an inquiry ? Would not the police have had a word to say in the matter, eh, Nessi ? Even as it is he is wounded, you know." All the ugly delight in Nessi's face turned into unmixed alarm,— for of all words in the dictionary that of "police" is the one most full of terror to Hebrew ears. " The police?" she stammered ; " does the Herr Lieutenant really mean that the police could be after me for this ? Will there really be an inquiry ? Oh wai, oh wail Why did I do this thing?" " Because you are a creature without conscience and without heart. If you must be howling, why do you not howl over that man who has gone up-stairs now with the bandaged arm?" " But it is not really true, is it ? The police cannot take me? Beautiful Herr Lieutenant, please say that it is not true."