rian
by birth, in the Papal troops at present, whom I had obliged by a
loan when nobody would lend him a paul, recommended a horse to me,
on sale by a Lieutenant * *, an officer who unites the sale of
cattle to the purchase of men. I bought it. The next day, on
shoeing the horse, we discovered the _thrush_,--the animal being
warranted sound. I sent to reclaim the contract and the money. The
lieutenant desired to speak with me in person. I consented. He
came. It was his own particular request. He began a story. I asked
him if he would return the money. He said no--but he would
exchange. He asked an exorbitant price for his other horses. I told
him that he was a thief. He said he was an _officer_ and a man of
honour, and pulled out a Parmesan passport signed by General Count
Neifperg. I answered, that as he was an officer, I would treat him
as such; and that as to his being a gentleman, he might prove it by
returning the money: as for his Parmesan passport, I should have
valued it more if it had been a Parmesan cheese. He answered in
high terms, and said that if it were the _morning_ (it was about
eight o'clock in the evening) he would have _satisfaction_. I then
lost my temper: 'As for THAT,' I replied, 'you shall have it
directly,--it will be _mutual_ satisfaction, I can assure you. You
are a thief, and, as you say, an officer; my pistols are in the
next room loaded; take one of the candles, examine, and make your
choice of weapons.' He replied, that _pistols_ were _English
weapons_; _he_ always fought with the _sword_. I told him that I
was able to accommodate him, having three regimental swords in a
drawer near us: and he might take the longest and put himself on
guard.

"All this passed in presence of a third person. He then said _No_;
but to-morrow morning he would give me the meeting at any time or
place. I answered that it was not usual to appoint meetings in the
presence of witnesses, and that we had best speak man to man, and
appoint time and instruments. But as the man present was leaving
the room, the Lieutenant * *, before he could shut the door after
him, ran out roaring 'Help and murder' most lustily, and fell into
a sort of hysteric in the arms of about fifty people, who all saw
that I had no weapon of any sort or kind about me,