The Duel and Other Stories by Anton Chekhov Fiction Anthologies Short Stories Classics Literary

<p><strong>While his restless wife watches the chemist snores contentedly smiling at his dream -- that the whole village has a cough and are buying his curative syrup!</strong></p><p>Then she hears outside two shadowed figures a doctor and an officer talking between themselves . . . about the chemist with the oversized jaw of an ass and his ever-so-contrasting so-fetching wife! Then the doorbell rings.</p><p>Soon the chemist's wife finds herself hosting a small midnight party gazing upon their ruddy faces and listening to their chatter -- and soon she too grows quite lively. Oh she feels so gay! The dead weight pressing her down on this heavy summer night lifts completely . . .</p>