The commandant asked if he did not wish to be seated, and in a courteous, albeit somewhat formal, manner, pulled over a chair. His wife said: “Indeed, we will hold you to be a ghost until you tell us how you rose out of the grave in which they laid you in P . . . . ” Dropping the hand of the marquise, the count sat down and said that the circumstances compelled him to be brief; that he had suffered a deadly shot in the chest and was taken to P . . . ; that for many months he had doubted he’d pull through; that during that time he thought only of Madame la Marquise; that he could not put into words the joy and pain entwined with that thought; that following his recovery he returned to the army; that he had suffered the greatest disquiet; that many a time he had picked up a pen to unburden his heart to the Lord Commandant and Madame la Marquise; that he was suddenly sent to Naples; that he could not say for sure that he might not be redeployed from there to Constantinople; that he might even be obliged to return to St. Petersburg; that he would find it impossible to go on living all the while if he did not come clean concerning a certain imperative of the heart; that on his return passage through M . . . , he had not been able to resist the urge to make a detour with this purpose in mind; in short, that he harbored the ardent desire to be blessed with Madame la Marquise’s hand in marriage, and that he most respectfully, most earnestly and urgently beseeched them to respond to this request. Following a long pause, the commandant replied that if, as he did not doubt, the count was serious in his request, he found it very flattering. However, at the death of her husband, the Marquis of O . . . , his daughter had resolved not to remarry. Nevertheless, seeing as he had recently ingratiated himself by such a great kindness, it might not be impossible that her resolve had thereby been swayed in a manner that might favor such a request; in the meantime, he begged the count’s leave, on her behalf, that he might accord her a bit of time to consider his request. The count assured the commandant that this kind-hearted reply was all he could hope for; that under other circumstances, he could ask no more; that he was painfully aware of the impropriety of not being content therewith; that pressing matters, however, concerning which he could not now be more explicit, made a more definitive answer most desirable; that the horses that were to take him to Naples were already harnessed to his carriage; and that he beseeched them, if there were any persons in this house well disposed toward him, whereby he cast a glance at the marquise, that he not be left to drive off without a word of assurance. Somewhat taken aback by this behavior, the commandant replied that the gratitude the marquise felt permitted him to presume a great deal, but not to presume that much; that she could not take an action that would have a decisive effect on her happiness in life without careful reflection. It would be indispensable for his daughter, prior to any reply, that he honor her with the pleasure of his closer acquaintance. He invited him, following the conclusion of his business trip, to return to M . . . and spend some time as a guest of the family. If at that point Madame la Marquise might hope that he could make her happy, then he too – but not before – would be glad to hear that she had given him a definite answer. A redness rising to his face, the count replied that throughout his entire trip he had foreseen this answer to his impatient wishes; that he had meanwhile felt gripped by a great grief; that given the regrettable role he was now obliged to play, a closer acquaintance could only help his cause; that he believed himself justified in standing by his reputation, if elsewhere this most ambiguous of all qualities should be called into question; that no one knew of the only villainous act he had ever committed in his life, for which he was already in process of making amends; that he was, in a word, an honorable man, and begged leave to presume their assurance that they would accept this assurance as truthful. Cracking a smile, albeit without any ironic intent, the commandant responded that he approved of all these pronouncements. He had indeed never made the acquaintance of any young man who in such a short time had managed to amass so many inestimable qualities of character.