Volume V Part 91 (1/2)
I had hardly gone four paces fro-room when I heard e I restrained , coolly and firht kill a brave Pole outside the theatre; and without awaiting a reply I left the building by the chief staircase
I waited vainly outside the theatre for a quarter of an hour withforty thousand ducats like To with cold, I calledwas to sup
The cold and loneliness began to cool ratulatedlad that Branicki had not followed me down the stairs, for his friend Bininski had a sabre, and I should probably have been assassinated
Although the Poles are polite enough, there is still a good deal of the old leaven in them They are still Dacians and Samaritans at dinner, in war, and in friendshi+p, as they call it, but which is often a burden hardly to be borne They can never understand that a man ht to descend on hiive them dinner
I made up my mind that Madame Binetti had excited Branicki to follow me, and possibly to treat me as he had treated Tomatis I had not received a blow certainly, but I had been called a coward I had no choice but to demand satisfaction, but I also deterhout In this fraot down at the palatin's, resolved to tell the whole story to the king, leaving to his ive me satisfaction
As soon as the palatin sawhi, and we sat down to tressette I was his partner, and coaht?”
”My lord, it is four leagues away”
”A respectable aues”
With these words the prince thren his cards and began to walk up and down the rooot up and stood by the fire, waiting for the king But after I had waited thus for half an hour a chamberlain came from the palace, and announced that hiswith ht
This was a blow for me, but I concealed my disappointment Supper was served, and I sat down as usual at the left hand of the palatin, as annoyed with hteen at table, and for once I had no appetite About the middle of the supper Prince Gaspard Lubomirski came in, and chanced to sit down opposite me As soon as he saw me he condoled with me in a loud voice for what had happened
”I am sorry for you,” said he, ”but Branicki was drunk, and you really shouldn't count what he said as an insult”
”What has happened?” becaue, and when they asked Lubomirski he replied that as I kept silence it was his duty to do the sa in his friendliest manner, said to me,--
”What has taken place between you and Branicki?”
”I will tell you the whole story, my lord, in private after supper”
The conversation became indifferent, and after the meal was over the palatin took up his stand by the small door by which he was accustomed to leave the roohed, condoled withabsent-minded at cards”
”May I presuive advice in these affairs, in which you ”
The palatin shook me by the hand, and I went home and slept for six hours As soon as I awoke I sat up in bed, andI soon rejected the latter alternative, and I saw that I ht I should be compelled to kill him, even if I were to lose my head for it
Such wasa duel at four leagues fro the li was forbidden on pain of death I Wrote as follows, for I have kept the rough draft of the letter to this day:
”WARSAW, ”March 5th, 1766 5 AM
”My Lord,--Yesterday evening your excellency insulted iven you any cause or reason for doing so
This seeladly efface e you in this h, therefore, to drive e to a place where eance of the law, in case you obtain the victory, and where I shall enjoy the sarace to kill your lordshi+p I should not make this proposal unless I believe your lordshi+p to be of a noble disposition