“ He has disgraced the uniform,” they said; “let him resign his commission.”
Some stood up for me: “He faced the shot,” they said.
“ Yes, but he was afraid of his other shot and begged for forgiveness.”
“ If he had been afraid of being shot, he would have shot his own pistol first before asking forgiveness, while he flung it loaded into the forest. No, there’s something else in this, something original.”
I enjoyed listening and looking at them. “My dear friends and comrades,” said I, “don’t worry about my resigning my commission, for I have done so already. I have sent in my papers this morning and as soon as I get my discharge I shall go into a monastery—it’s with that object I am leaving the regiment.”
When I had said this every one of them burst out laughing.
“ You should
