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There were plenty to assure L that for this insult he must, if he wished to be considered a gentleman, challenge Briarly, and shoot him if he could. Several days elapsed before L 's courage rose high enough to enable him to send the deadly missive by the hand of a friend.
"You will be posted as a coward," said the second, fiercely. "In return for which I will post him as no gentleman, and give the evidence," replied Briarly. "I will take his place. You will hear from me shortly," said the second, turning away. "Be sure you don't owe your tailor any thing, for if you do, I will not stoop to accept your challenge," returned Briarly.
It was looked upon as one of his waggish tricks, intended to hit off some one, or perhaps the whole class of fine tailor-made gentlemen who forget their benefactors. While Tom was metamorphosed as stated, Briarly was waited upon one day, by a young man, who presented him with a challenge to mortal combat from the insulted L , and desired him to name his friend.
Shortly after this, it happened that L made Briarly angry about something, when the latter very unceremoniously took hold of the handle on the young man's face, and moved his head around. Fortunately, the body moved with the head, or the consequences might have been serious.
"By my ledger. A man who doesn't pay his tailor's bill, I consider no gentleman. If L sends me a challenge, I will refuse to fight him on that ground." "Good!" said Briarly, laughing. "I'm afraid, if your standard were adopted, that a great many, who now pass themselves off for gentlemen, would be held in little estimation." "It is the true standard, nevertheless," replied Shears.
"Not always," he replied. "Then I should say that the word of a gentleman isn't worth much," smilingly remarked Briarly. "Not the word of such broadcloth and buckram gentlemen as he is." "Take care what you say, or you may find yourself called to account for using improper language about this gentleman. We may have a duel on the carpet."
"A man may try to be a gentleman as much as he pleases, but if he don't try to pay his tailor's bill at the same time, he tries in vain." "You may be right enough," remarked Briarly, a good deal amused at the tailor's mode of estimating a gentleman, and possessed of a new fact in regard to L 's claim to the honourable distinction of which he so often boasted.
Among those who were thrown into the society of this L , was a young man, named Briarly, who had rather more basis to his character, and who, although he dressed well, and moved in good society, by no means founded thereon his claim to be called a gentleman. He never liked L , because he saw that he had no principle whatever; that all about him was mere sham.
The consequence was that he was hardly civil to him, a circumstance which L was slow either to notice or resent. It happened, one day, that the tailor of Briarly asked him if he knew any thing about L . "Not much," replied Briarly. "Why do you ask?" "Do you think him a gentleman?" "How do you estimate a gentleman?" asked the young man. "A gentleman is a man of honour," returned the tailor.
"I cannot accept the challenge," said Briarly, promptly. "Why not?" asked the second of L , in surprise. "Because your principal is no gentleman." "What!" "Is no gentleman," coolly returned Briarly. "Explain yourself, sir, if you please." "He doesn't pay his tailor, he doesn't pay his boot-maker, he doesn't pay his hatter he is, therefore, no gentleman, and I cannot fight him."
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