Page 618 - the-idiot

coat pocket.
Keller insisted afterwards that he had held his right hand
in his pocket all the while, when he was speaking to the
prince, and that he had held the latter’s shoulder with his
left hand only. This circumstance, Keller affirmed, had led
him to feel some suspicion from the first. However this may
be, Keller ran after Hippolyte, but he was too late.
He caught sight of something flashing in Hippolyte’s
right hand, and saw that it was a pistol. He rushed at him,
but at that very instant Hippolyte raised the pistol to his
temple and pulled the trigger. There followed a sharp metal-
lic click, but no report.
When Keller seized the would-be suicide, the latter fell
forward into his arms, probably actually believing that he
was shot. Keller had hold of the pistol now. Hippolyte was
immediately placed in a chair, while the whole company
thronged around excitedly, talking and asking each other
questions. Every one of them had heard the snap of the trig-
ger, and yet they saw a live and apparently unharmed man
before them.
Hippolyte himself sat quite unconscious of what was go-
ing on, and gazed around with a senseless expression.
Lebedeff and Colia came rushing up at this moment.
‘What is it?’ someone asked, breathlessly—‘A misfire?’
‘Perhaps it wasn’t loaded,’ said several voices.
‘It’s loaded all right,’ said Keller, examining the pistol,
‘but—‘
‘What! did it miss fire?’
‘There was no cap in it,’ Keller announced.

1