bed, there was a
pulsing in her temples, and why she did not know. . . . Her heart
beat violently as though those two whispering outside were deciding
her fate.

Five minutes later the doctor parted from Obtyosov and walked on,
while Obtyosov came back. He walked past the shop once and a second
time. . . . He would stop near the door and then take a few steps
again. At last the bell tinkled discreetly.

"What? Who is there?" the chemist's wife heard her husband's voice
suddenly. "There's a ring at the bell, and you don't hear it," he
said severely. "Is that the way to do things?"

He got up, put on his dressing-gown, and staggering, half asleep,
flopped in his slippers to the shop.

"What . . . is it?" he asked Obtyosov.

"Give me . . . give me four pennyworth of peppermint lozenges."

Sniffing continually, yawning, dropping asleep as he moved, and
knocking his knees against the counter, the chemist went to the
shelf and reached down the jar.

Two minutes later the chemist's wife saw Obtyosov go out of the
shop, and, after he had gone some steps, she saw him throw the
packet of peppermints on the dusty road. The doctor came from behind
a corner to meet him. . . . They met and, gesticulating, vanished
in the morning mist.

"How unhappy I am!" said the chemist's wife, looking angrily at her
husband, who was undressing quickly to get into bed again. "Oh, how
unhappy I am!" she repeated, suddenly melting into bitter tears.
"And nobody knows, nobody knows. . . ."

"I forgot fourpence on the counter," muttered the chemist, pulling
the quilt over him. "Put it away in the till, please. . . ."

And at once he fell asleep again.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE DUEL AND OTHER STORIES***

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