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The duel had particularly fascinated the thoughts of Alexey

Alexandrovitch in his youth, just because he was physically a

coward, and was himself well aware of the fact. Alexey

Alexandrovitch could not without horror contemplate the idea of a

pistol aimed at himself, and had never made use of any weapon in

his life. This horror had in his youth set him pondering on

dueling, and picturing himself in a position in which he would

have to expose his life to danger. Having attained success and an

established position in the world, he had long ago forgotten this

feeling; but the habitual bent of feeling reasserted itself, and

dread of his own cowardice proved even now so strong that Alexey

Alexandrovitch spent a long while thinking over the question of

dueling in all its aspects, and hugging the idea of a duel,

though he was fully aware beforehand that he would never under

any circumstances fight one.