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Updated: June 18, 2025
Both he and Colonel Royale immediately stiffened and decided not to perceive each other. "Sir," said Lord Strepp to me, "I have the honour to present my compliments to you, and to request that you join a friend of mine, Mr. Forister, at dawn to-morrow, in the settlement of a certain small misunderstanding."
There was a loud jovial clamour at the door, and at my cry it flew open. Colonel Royale entered precipitately, beaming with good humour. "O'Ruddy, you rascal," he shouted, "I commanded you to take much rest, and here I find " He halted abruptly as he perceived my other visitor. "And here I find," he repeated coldly, "here I find Mr. Forister." Forister saluted with finished politeness.
"Come," said I, "I would have you point me out the great swordsmen, if it pleases you. I am eager to see them, and the talk will be cleanly, also." "Aye," said my friend. "Nothing could give me more pleasure. And now, look you! The tall, straight, grave young man there is Ponsonby, who flashes the wisest blade in England unless Reginald Forister is better. Any how, Forister is not here to-day.
Am I, after all, such a poor stick that, to your mind, I could be advised to sell my honour for a mere fear of being killed?" Even then I remembered my one-time decision to run away from the duel with Forister; but we will not be thinking of that now. Tears came into Lady Mary's eyes. "Ah, now, I have blundered," she said. "'Tis what you would say, sir. 'Tis what you would do.
At the inn where Paddy holed Forister, I did not dismount, although a hostler ran out busily. "No," said I. "I ride on." I looked at the man. Small, sharp-eyed, weazened, he was as likely a rascal of a hostler as ever helped a highwayman to know a filled purse from a man who was riding to make arrangements with his creditors. "Do you remember me?" said I.
Should I say that I was ill, and then send for a doctor to prove that I was not ill? Should I run straightway and hide under the bed? No! "Bid the gentleman enter," said I to the servant. Forister came in smiling, cool and deadly. "Good day to you, Mr. O'Ruddy," he said, showing me his little teeth.
Their competence is suddenly made manifold. They live, for a brief space, the life of giants. Rage is destruction active. Whenever anything in this world needs to be destroyed, nature makes somebody wrathful. Another thing that I recall is that I had not the slightest doubt of my ability to kill Forister. There were no more misgivings: no quakings. I thought of the impending duel with delight.
It passed through my mind like light and left me still smiling gayly at Colonel Royale's observations upon the situation. "Wounds in the body from Forister," quoth he academically, "are almost certain to be fatal, for his wrist has a magnificent twist which reminds one of a top. I do not know where he learned this wrist movement, but almost invariably it leads him to kill his man.
Here I stopped abruptly, as if I had been interrupted by Forister; but he had given me no sign but a sickly grin. "Eh, Forister?" said I. "What's that?" "I was remarking that I had nothing further to say for the present," he replied, with superb insolence. "For the time I am quite willing to be silent. I bid you a good day, sirs."
"Your 'papers'?" said Forister. "Damn you and your papers. What would I know of your papers?" "I mean," said I fiercely, "the papers that you stole out of my chamber in the inn at Bristol." The man actually sank back in his chair and laughed me up to the roof. "'Papers'!" he shouted. "Here's the king of the Irelands thinking that I have made off with his papers!"
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