heart of that young lady, at whose house I met you
yesterday; therefore you cannot be surprised when I declare myself
displeased with your visits and behaviour to my mistress, and demand that
you will instantly promise to drop the correspondence." "Else what
follows?" answered Ferdinand, with a cool and temperate voice. "My
resentment and immediate defiance," replied the other; "for the only
alternative I propose is, to forego your design upon that lady, or to
decide our pretension by the sword."

Our hero, having expressed a regard for this visitant as the son of a
gentleman whom he honoured, was at the pains to represent the
unreasonableness of his demand, and the folly of his presumption; and
earnestly exhorted him to put the issue of his cause upon a more safe and
equitable footing. But this admonition, instead of appeasing the wrath,
seemed to inflame the resentment of the opponent, who swore he would not
leave him until he should have accomplished the purport of his errand.
In vain our adventurer requested half an hour for the despatch of some
urgent business, in which he was engaged with a gentleman in the other
parlour. This impetuous rival rejected all the terms he could propose,
and even challenged him to decide the controversy upon the spot; an
expedient to which the other having assented with reluctance, the door
was secured, the swords unsheathed, and a hot engagement ensued, to the
inexpressible pleasure of the Swiss, who did not doubt that he himself
would be screened from all danger by the event of this rencontre.
Nevertheless, his hope was disappointed in the defeat of the stranger,
who was quickly disarmed, in consequence of a wound through the
sword-arm; upon which occasion Fathom was heard to say, that, in
consideration of his youth and family, he had spared his life; but he
would not act with the same tenderness towards any other antagonist. He
then bound up the limb he had disabled, conducted the vanquished party to
his chair, rejoined the chevalier with a serene countenance, and, asking
pardon for having detained him so long, proposed they should instantly
set out in a hackney-coach for the place of appointment.

The stratagem thus conducted, had all the success the inventor could
desire. The fear of the Swiss had risen almost to an ecstasy before the
Count quitted the room; but after this sham battle, which had been
preconcerted betwixt our adventurer and his friend Ratchcali, the
chevali