with the one
eye exerted all his strength, and pushed Ivan Nikiforovitch, from whom
the perspiration streamed like rain-water from a roof. In spite of the
fact that the friends resisted to the best of their ability, they
were nevertheless brought together, for the two chief movers received
reinforcements from the ranks of their guests.

Then they were closely surrounded on all sides, not to be released until
they had decided to give one another their hands. "God be with you, Ivan
Nikiforovitch and Ivan Ivanovitch! declare upon your honour now, that
what you quarrelled about were mere trifles, were they not? Are you not
ashamed of yourselves before people and before God?"

"I do not know," said Ivan Nikiforovitch, panting with fatigue,
though it is to be observed that he was not at all disinclined to a
reconciliation, "I do not know what I did to Ivan Ivanovitch; but why
did he destroy my coop and plot against my life?"

"I am innocent of any evil designs!" said Ivan Ivanovitch, never looking
at Ivan Nikiforovitch. "I swear before God and before you, honourable
noblemen, I did nothing to my enemy! Why does he calumniate me and
insult my rank and family?"

"How have I insulted you, Ivan Ivanovitch?" said Ivan Nikiforovitch.
One moment more of explanation, and the long enmity would have been
extinguished. Ivan Nikiforovitch was already feeling in his pocket for
his snuff-box, and was about to say, "Do me the favour."

"Is it not an insult," answered Ivan Ivanovitch, without raising his
eyes, "when you, my dear sir, insulted my honour and my family with a
word which it is improper to repeat here?"

"Permit me to observe, in a friendly manner, Ivan Ivanovitch," here Ivan
Nikiforovitch touched Ivan Ivanovitch's button with his finger, which
clearly indicated the disposition of his mind, "that you took offence,
the deuce only knows at what, because I called you a 'goose'--"

It occurred to Ivan Nikiforovitch that he had made a mistake in uttering
that word; but it was too late: the word was said. Everything went to
the winds. It, on the utterance of this word without witnesses, Ivan
Ivanovitch lost control of himself and flew into such a passion as God
preserve us from beholding any man in, what was to be expected now? I
put it to you, dear readers, what was to be expected now, when the fatal
word was uttered in an assemblage of persons among whom were ladies, in
whose presence Ivan Ivanovitch liked to be particularly