The Argosy — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

109 PRINCESS ELEANOR. XVIII. EAR GEOFFREY,—Whether new torments are in store for me, or whether I am reserved for better times, I know not—from the fact that I can write to you, you conclude that I have escaped death. A slight wound in my left shoulder is the only consequence of my encounter. I had asked two young friends of mine to be my seconds. I told them as little as possible of the affair, the gravity of which they could not understand. They begged me to recollect that Werdan was one of the best shots in the country before he retired from the army. It was, therefore, to my interest to send him the sharpest challenge possible ; a thing I should have done in any case, however. Our meeting was arranged to take place in the Park at eight o’clock the next morning. ‘ I slept a few hours, but spent the greater part of the night in look- ing over my papers, making my will, and writing to Eleanor. I sealed all, and entrusted the documents to my seconds. The feelings and sensations common to persons in my position were totally unknown to me. My life had lost all charm. Nothing remained but the wish to punish the villain who, with unprincipled heedlessness, had trifled with the life and honour of his fellow man. We were the first to reach the spot with our doctor; but a few minutes later my opponent arrived with his seconds and another doctor. The conditions were read aloud and signed by both adversaries and by the seconds. The pistols were now loaded, and the distance measured and marked. We were to aim whilst the seconds counted six. The usual attempt at reconciliation was made; but, as Werdan refused to give me back my word, it was of course unsuccessful. The seconds gave us our pistols, the mouths of which were soon opposed to each other. My adversary’s second began to count. At “Four!” both shots had gone off together. Neither of us wavered in the least. My second asked me if I felt pain, and I answered in the negative. We took up the second pistols, and the counting again began. This time the shots were heard at “Five!” Werdan staggéeréd,and in a comicbooks.com