ship's sake."

(I see you, Lorand!)

"Well, which of you is inclined to follow the German cavaliers'
example?"

Topandy interrupted.

"I for one am not, and Heaven forbid you should be."

"I am."

--Which remark came from Gyali, not Lorand.

I looked at him. The fellow had remained sober. He had only tasted the
wine, while others had drunk it.

"If you are inclined, let us try," said Lorand.

"With pleasure, only you must do it first."

"I shall do so, but you will not follow me."

"If you do it, I shall too. But I think you will not do it before me."

One idea flashed clearly before me and chilled my whole body. I saw all:
I understood all now: the mystery of ten years was no longer a secret to
me: I saw the refugee, I saw the pursuer, and I had both in my hand, in
such an iron grip, as if God had lent me for the moment the hand of an
archangel.

You just talk away.

Lorand's face was a feverish red.

"Well, well, you scamp! Let us bet, if you like."

"What?"

"Twenty bottles of champagne, which we shall drink too."

"I accept the wager."

"Whoever withdraws from the jest loses the bet."

"Here's the money!"

Both took their purses and placed each a hundred florins on the table.

I too produced my purse and took a crumpled paper out of it:--but it was
no banknote.

Lorand cried to the waiter.

"Take my pistols out of my trunk."

The waiter placed both before him.

"Are they really loaded?" inquired Gyali.

"Look into the barrels, where the steel head of the bullets are smiling
at you."

Gyali found it wiser to believe than to look into the pistol barrels.

"Well, the bet stands; whichever of us cannot drink out his portion pays
for the champagne."

Lorand seized his glass to pour the red wine that was in it into the
pistol-barrel.

The whole company was silent: some agonized restraint ruled their
intoxicated nerves: every eye was rested on Lorand as if they wished to
check the mad jest before its completion. On Topandy's forehead heavy
beads of sweat glistened.

I quietly placed my hand on Lorand's, in which he held the weapon and
amid profound silence asked:

"Would it not be good to draw lots to see who shall do it first?"

Both looked at me in confusion when I mentioned drawing lots.

Could their secret have been discovered?

"Only if you draw lots about it," I continued quietly, "don't omit to be
quite sure about the writing of each other's name, lest there be a
re