But the boy replied with only a short, bitter laugh at the assured
futility of my attempts. Plainly, if there was to be fighting over
this matter, I ought not to seek a usurpation of Tom's right. And
fighting there would be, I knew, whether I said yea or nay. Since Tom
must have a second, that place was mine. And I felt, too, with a young
man's foolish faith in poetic justice, that the right must win; that
his adversary's superiority in age--and therefore undoubtedly in
practice, Falconer being the man he was--would not avail against an
honest lad avenging the probity of a sister. And so I yielded
countenance to the affair, and went, as soon as my duty permitted, to
wait upon Captain Falconer.
"Why," said he, when I had but half told my errand, "I was led to
expect this. The young gentleman called me a harsh name, which I'm
willing to overlook. But he finds himself aggrieved, and, knowing him
as I do, I make no doubt he will not be content till we have a bout or
two. If I refuse, he will dog me, I believe, and make trouble for both
of us, till I grant him what he asks. So the sooner 'tis done, the
better, I suppose. But lookye, Mr. Russell, 'tis sure to be an
embarrassing business. If one or other of us _should_ be hurt, there'd
be the devil to pay, you know. I dare say the General would be quite
obdurate, and go the whole length of the law. There's that to be
thought of.
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