Part 68 (2/2)
”Very well,” said the other, though he seemed surprised.
”I may tell you your manners are none of the best.”
Beratinsky looked at him.
”Nor your temper,” said he, ”one would think. Do you still go back to what I said about your piece of acting? You are a child, Reitzei.”
”I do not care about that,” said Reitzei, contemptuously, though he was not speaking the truth: his self-satisfaction had been grievously hurt.
”You put too great a value on your opinion, Beratinsky; it is not everything that you know about: we will let that pa.s.s. But when one goes into a society as a guest, one expects to be treated as a guest. No matter; I was among my own countrymen: I was well enough entertained.”
”It appears so,” said Beratinsky, with a sneer: ”I should say too well.
My dear friend Reitzei, I am afraid you have been having a little too much champagne.”
”It was none that you paid for, at all events,” was the quick retort.
”No matter; I was among my own countrymen: they are civil; they are not n.i.g.g.ardly.”
”They can afford to spend,” said the other, laughing sardonically, ”out of the plunder they take from others.”
”They have fought for what they have,” the other said, hotly. ”Your countrymen--what have they ever done? Have they fought? No; they have conspired, and then run away.”
But Beratinsky was much too cool-blooded a man to get into a quarrel of this kind; besides, he noticed that Reitzei's speech was occasionally a little thick.
”I would advise you to go home and get to bed, friend Reitzei,” said he.
”Not until I have said something to you, Mr. Beratinsky,” said the other with mock politeness. ”I have this to say, that your ways of late have been a little too uncivil; you have been just rather too insolent, my good friend. Now I tell you frankly it does not do for one in your position to be uncivil and to make enemies.”
”For one in my position!” Beratinsky repeated, in a tone of raillery.
”You think it is a joke, then, what happened to-night?”
”Oh, that is what you mean; but if that is my position, what other is yours, friend Reitzei?”
”You pretend not to know. I will tell you: that was got up between you and Lind; I had nothing to do with it.”
”Ho! ho!”
”You may laugh; but take care you do not laugh the other way,” said the younger man, who had worked himself into a fury, and was all the madder on account of the cynical indifference of his antagonist. ”I tell you I had nothing to do with it; it was your scheme and Lind's; I did as I was bid. I tell you I could make this very plain if--”
He hesitated.
”Well--if what?” Beratinsky said, calmly.
”You know very well. I say you are not in a position to insult people and make enemies. You are a very clever man in your own estimation, my friend Beratinsky; but I would give you the advice to be a little more civil.”
Beratinsky regarded him for a second in silence.
”I scarcely know whether it is worth while to point out certain things to you, friend Reitzei, or whether to leave you to go home and sleep off your anger.”
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