itting through his teeth into the bars of a beautifully polished
grate. "I'd stick to anybody--the devil himself, leave alone a
vampyre--if so be as how I had been his friends and drunk grog from the
same can. They are a set of lubbers."

"I have not been here long enough to form any such friendships, Mr.
Chillingworth; but can confidently rely upon your honour and that of
your principal, and will freely and fairly meet him."

"But, Sir Francis, you forget the fact, in transacting, myself for
Mr. Bannerworth, and this person or Admiral Bell, we do match, and have
our own characters at stake; nay more, our lives and fortunes. These may
be small; but they are everything to us. Allow me to say, on my own
behalf, that I will not permit my principal to meet you unless you can
name a second, as is usual with gentlemen on such occasions."

"I regret, while I declare to you my entire willingness to meet you,
that I cannot comply through utter inability to do so, with your
request. Let this go forth to the world as I have stated it, and let it
be an answer to any aspersions that may be uttered as to my
unwillingness to fight."

There was a pause of some moments. Mr. Chillingworth was resolved that,
come of it what would, he would not permit Henry to fight, unless Sir
Francis Varney himself should appoint a friend, and then they could meet
upon equal terms.

Jack Pringle whistled, and spit, and chewed and turned his quid--hitched
up his trousers, and looked wistfully from one to the other, as he
said,--

"So then it's likely to be no fight at all, Sir Francis what's-o'-name?"

"It seems like it, Mr. Pringle," replied Varney, with a meaning smile;
"unless you can be more complaisant towards myself, and kind towards the
admiral."

"Why, not exactly that," said Jack; "it's a pity to stop a good play in
the beginning, just because some little thing is wrong in the tackling."

"Perhaps your skill and genius may enable us to find some medium course
that we may pursue with pleasure and profit. What say you, Mr. Pringle?"

"All I know about genius, as you call it is the Flying Dutchman, or some
such odd out of the way fish. But, as I said, I am not one to spoil
sport, nor more is the admiral. Oh, no, we is all true men and good."

"I believe it," said Varney, bowing politely.

"You needn't keep your figure-head on the move; I can see you just as
well. Howsoever, as I was saying, I don't like to spoil sport, and
sooner than