Volume I Part 34 (2/2)
A slight bow seemed to leave at their disposal the very small portion of his character he conceived to lie in that predicament.
”You will expect to hear yourself spoken of in terms that befit a man who has cowed out of an engagement he dared not fulfil?”
”Of course,” said Carleton, haughtily; ”by my present refusal I give you leave to say all that, and as much more as your ingenuity can furnish in the same style; but not in my hearing, Sir.”
”You can't help yourself,” said Thorn, with the same sneer.
”You have rid yourself of a gentleman's means of protection, ?
what others will you use?”
”I will leave that to the suggestion of the moment ? I do not doubt it will be found fruitful.”
n.o.body doubted it who looked just then on his steady sparkling eye.
”I consider the champions.h.i.+p of yesterday given up, of course,” Thorn went on in a kind of aside, not looking at anybody, and striking his cigar against the guards to clear it of ashes; ? ”the champion has quitted the field, and the little princess but lately so walled in with defences must now listen to whatever knight and squire may please to address to her. Nothing remains to be seen of her defender but his spurs.”
”They may serve for the heels of whoever is disposed to annoy her,” said Mr. Carleton. ”He will need them.”
He left the group with the same air of imperturbable self- possession which he had maintained during the conference. But presently, Rossitur, who had his private reasons for wis.h.i.+ng to keep friends with an acquaintance who might be of service in more ways than one, followed him, and declared himself to have been, in all his nonsense to Fleda, most undesirous of giving displeasure to her temporary guardian, and sorry that it had fallen out so. He spoke frankly, and Mr. Carleton, with the same cool gracefulness with which he had carried on the quarrel, waived his displeasure, and admitted the young gentleman apparently to stand as before in his favour. Their reconciliation was not an hour old when Captain Beebee joined them.
”I am sorry I must trouble you with a word more on this disagreeable subject, Mr. Carleton,” he began, after a ceremonious salutation, ”My friend, Lieutenant Thorn, considers himself greatly outraged by your determination not to meet him. He begs to ask, by me, whether it is your purpose to abide by it at all hazards?”
”Yes, Sir.”
”There is some misunderstanding here, which I greatly regret.
I hope you will see and excuse the disagreeable necessity I am. under of delivering the rest of my friend's message.”
”Say on, Sir.”
”Mr. Thorn declares that if you deny him the common courtesy which no gentleman refuses to another, he will proclaim your name with the most opprobrious adjuncts to all the world; and, in place of his former regard, he will hold you in the most unlimited contempt, which he will have no scruple about showing on all occasions.”
Mr. Carleton coloured a little, but replied, coolly ?
”I have not lived in Mr. Thorn's favour. As to the rest, I forgive him! ? except indeed, he provoke me to measures for which I never will forgive him.”
”Measures!” said the Captain.
”I hope not! for my own self-respect would be more grievously hurt than his. But there is an unruly spring somewhere about my composition, that when it gets wound up, is once in a while too much for me.”
”But,” said Rossitur, ”pardon me, ? have you no regard to the effect of his misrepresentations?”
”You are mistaken, Mr. Rossitur,” said Carleton, slightly, ”this is but the blast of a bellows ? not the simoon.”
”Then what answer shall I have the honour of carrying back to my friend?” said Captain Beebee, after a sort of astounded pause of a few minutes.
”None, of my sending, Sir.”
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