Onmyreturntwomonthslater, Ifoundtheyoungladyalreadymarriedtoarichneighboringlandowner, averyamiableman, stillyoungthougholderthanIwas, connectedwiththebestPetersburgsociety, whichIwasnot, andofexcellenteducation, , asIlearnedthen, theyounglandownerhadbeenalongwhilebetrothedtoher, andIhadmethimindeedmanytimesinherhouse, ; almosteverybodyhadknownallaboutit, , andasshehadnotattemptedtostopmeortowarnme, shemust, Iconcluded, , ofcourse, Ireflectedandrememberedthatshehadbeenveryfarfromlaughingatme; onthecontrary, sheusedtoturnoffanylove-makingonmypartwithajestandbegintalkingofothersubjects; , forbeingofaneasytemper, Ifounditdifficulttobeangrywithanyoneforlong, andsoIhadtoworkmyselfupartificiallyandbecameatlastrevoltingandabsurd.
Iwaitedforanopportunityandsucceededininsultingmy "rival" , jeeringathisopinionuponanimportantpublicevent—itwasintheyear1826—andmyjeerwas, sopeoplesaid, , andbehavedsorudelythatheacceptedmychallengeinspiteofthevastinequalitybetweenus, asIwasyounger, apersonofnoconsequence, ; hehadbeenratherjealousofmeonhiswife'saccountbeforetheirmarriage; hefanciednowthatifhesubmittedtobeinsultedbymeandrefusedtoacceptmychallenge, andifsheheardofit, , , yetduelingwasakindoffashionamongtheofficers—sostronganddeeplyrootedwillabrutalprejudicesometimesbe.
