"
"Oh! if it comes to giving up our friendship, as far as I am
concerned, I must wink at the whole thing; but what I can't stand is
your calling the opportunity which allows one to silence a fool, a
mere disease."
The crisis was not long in coming. The next morning before Wilhelm
went out, a lieutenant of one of the Uhlan regiments stationed at
Potsdam called, and said he had come with a challenge from Herr von
Pechlar; he declined to sit down, giving his message as shortly as
possible, with the least suspicion of contempt in his voice.
Herr von Pechlar had waited the whole afternoon; but as Herr
Eynhardt had sent him no message, he could no longer put off
demanding satisfaction. The questions as to who was the offender,
and what weapons should be used, might now be decided by the
seconds. Wilhelm looked calmly into the officer's eyes, and
explained that he had nothing further to do with Herr von Pechlar.
"You are an officer in the Reserve?" asked the lieutenant haughtily.
"Yes."
"I hope you understand that we shall bring the case before the
notice of the regiment?"
"You are perfectly free to do so."
The lieutenant stuck his eyeglass into his right eye, looked hard at
Wilhelm for several seconds, then, with an expression of deep
disgust, he spat on the floor, noisily turned round, and without a
word or sign, retired, his sword and spurs clanking as he went.
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