him?"

Jekyl absolutely started at the question; a degree of emotion, which,
had it been witnessed by any of his fashionable friends, would for ever
have ruined his pretensions to rank in the first order.

"What affair?" he asked, so soon as he could command a certain degree of
composure.

"Why, you know the news surely? Francis Tyrrel, whom all the company
voted a coward the other day, turns out as brave a fellow as any of us;
for, instead of having run away to avoid having his own throat cut by
Sir Bingo Binks, he was at the very moment engaged in a gallant attempt
to murder his elder brother, or his more lawful brother, or his cousin,
or some such near relation."

"I believe you are misinformed, sir," said Jekyl dryly, and then
resumed, as deftly as he could, his proper character of a pococurante.

"I am told," continued Touchwood, "one Jekyl acted as a second to them
both on the occasion--a proper fellow, sir--one of those fine gentlemen
whom we pay for polishing the pavement in Bond Street, and looking at a
thick shoe and a pair of worsted stockings, as if the wearer were none
of their paymasters. However, I believe the Commander-in-Chief is like
to discard him when he hears what has happened."

"Sir!" said Jekyl, fiercely--then, recollecting the folly of being angry
with an original of his companion's description, he proceeded more
coolly, "You are misinformed--Captain Jekyl knew nothing of any such
matter as you refer to--you talk of a person you know nothing
of--Captain Jekyl is----(Here he stopped a little, scandalized, perhaps,
at the very idea of vindicating himself to such a personage from such a
charge.)

"Ay, ay," said the traveller, filling up the chasm in his own way, "he
is not worth our talking of, certainly--but I believe he knew as much of
the matter as either you or I do, for all that."

"Sir, this is either a very great mistake, or wilful impertinence,"
answered the officer. "However absurd or intrusive you may be, I cannot
allow you, either in ignorance or incivility, to use the name of Captain
Jekyl with disrespect.--I am Captain Jekyl, sir."

"Very like, very like," said Touchwood, with the most provoking
indifference; "I guessed as much before."

"Then, sir, you may guess what is likely to follow, when a gentleman
hears himself unwarrantably and unjustly slandered," replied Captain
Jekyl, surprised and provoked that his annunciation of name and rank
seemed to be treated so lightly.