Повести Белкина / The Tales of the Late Ivan Petrovich Belkin

It once happened that I did not touch a pistol for a whole month, as I had sent mine to be mended; and would you believe it, Your Excellency, the first time I began to shoot again, I missed a bottle four times in succession at twenty paces! Our captain, a witty and amusing fellow, happened to be standing by, and he said to me: �It is evident, my friend, that you will not lift your hand against the bottle.’ No, Your Excellency, you must not neglect to practice, or your hand will soon lose its cunning.

The Count and Countess seemed pleased that I had begun to talk.

“And what sort of a shot was he?” asked the Count.

“Well, it was this way with him, Your Excellency: if he saw a fly settle on the wall – you smile, Countess, but, before Heaven, it is the truth – if he saw a fly, he would call out: �Kuzka, my pistol!’ Kuzka would bring him a loaded pistol – bang! – and the fly would be crushed against the wall.

“Wonderful!” said the Count. “And what was his name?”

“Silvio, Your Excellency.”

“Silvio!” exclaimed the Count, starting up. “Did you know Silvio?”

“How could I help knowing him, Your Excellency: we were intimate friends; he was received in our regiment like a brother officer, but it is now five years since I had any news of him.

“Oh, yes, I knew him very well. Did he ever tell you of one very strange incident in his life?”

“Does Your Excellency refer to the slap in the face that he received from some scamp at a ball?”

“Did he tell you the name of this scamp?”

“No, Your Excellency, he never mentioned his name … Ah! Your Excellency,” I continued, guessing the truth; “pardon me … I did not know … could it have been you?”

“Yes, I myself,” replied the Count, with a look of extraordinary distress; “and that picture with a bullet through it is a memento[14 - memento – (Latin) a small object which reminds one of something] of our last meeting.

“Ah, my dear,” said the Countess, “for Heaven’s sake, do not speak about that; it would be too terrible for me to listen to.”

“No,” replied the Count; “I will relate everything.