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I, the innocent person, should be the victim-killed or wounded.

It's even more senseless. But apart from that, a challenge to

fight would be an act hardly honest on my side. Don't I know

perfectly well that my friends would never allow me to fight a

duel-would never allow the life of a statesman, needed by Russia,

to be exposed to danger? Knowing perfectly well beforehand that

the matter would never come to real danger, it would amount to my

simply trying to gain a certain sham reputation by such a

challenge. That would be dishonest, that would be false, that

would be deceiving myself and others. A duel is quite irrational,

and no one expects it of me. My aim is simply to safeguard my

reputation, which is essential for the uninterrupted pursuit of

my public duties." Official duties, which had always been of

great consequence in Alexey Alexandrovitch's eyes, seemed of

special importance to his mind at this moment.