Vladimir Nabokov. Una cuestión de honor
A little later still, at about seven, Mityushin and Gnushke arrived. They looked grim. Gnushke bowed with reserve and handed Anton Petrovich a sealed business envelope. He opened it. It began: "I have received your extremely stupid and extremely rude message...." Anton Petrovich's monocle fell out, he reinserted it. "I feel very sorry for you, but since you have adopted this attitude, I have no choice but to accept your challenge. Tour seconds are pretty awful. Berg.10
Anton Petrovich's throat went unpleasantly dry, and there was