pty save for the papers, "'tis only that I would be
making a present to the fair Lady Mary, which I pray her to receive."
With my best Irish bow I extended to the young lady the papers, my
inheritance, which had caused her father so much foaming at the mouth.

She looked at me scornfully, she looked at her father, she looked at
me pathetically, she looked at her father, she looked at me piteously;
she took the papers.

I walked to the lowering and abashed points of the other men's swords,
and picked my blade from the floor. I paid no heed to the glittering
points which flashed near my eyes. I strode to the door; I turned and
bowed; as I did so, I believe I saw something in Lady Mary's eyes
which I wished to see there. I closed the door behind me.

But immediately there was a great clamour in the room I had left, and
the door was thrown violently open again. Colonel Royale appeared in a
high passion:

"No, no, O'Ruddy," he shouted, "you are a gallant gentleman. I would
stake my life that you are in the right. Say the word, and I will back
you to the end against ten thousand fiends."

And after him came tempestuously young Lord Strepp, white on the lips
with pure rage. But he spoke with a sudden steadiness.

"Colonel Royale, it appears," he said, "thinks he has to protect my
friend The O'Ruddy from some wrong of my family or of mine?"

The Colonel drew in his breath for a dangerous reply, but I quickly
broke in:

"Come, come, gentlemen," said I sharply. "Are swords to flash between
friends when there are so many damned scoundrels in the world to parry
and pink? 'Tis wrong; 'tis very wrong. Now, mark you, let us be men of
peace at least until to-morrow morning, when, by the way, I have to
fight your friend Forister."

"Forister!" they cried together. Their jaws fell; their eyes bulged;
they forgot everything; there was a silence.

"Well," said I, wishing to reassure them, "it may not be to-morrow
morning. He only told me that he would kill me as soon as he came to
Bristol, and I expect him to-night or in the morning. I would of
course be expecting him to show here as quickly as possible after his
grand speech; but he would not be entirely unwelcome, I am thinking,
for I have a mind to see if the sword of an honest man, but no
fighter, would be able to put this rogue to shame, and him with all
his high talk about killing people who have never done a thing in life
to him but kick him some number of feet out into