The brief space of twenty-four hours was soon overpassed, and my
anxieties ceased as the moment for the meeting with my enemy, drew
nigh. My friend called at my lodgings a good hour before daylight--it
was a point of credit with him that we should not delay the
opposite party the sixtieth part of a second. We drove out into the
country in a close carriage, taking a surgeon--who was a friend of
Kingsley--along with us. We were on the ground in due season, and
some little time before our customers. But they did not fail or
delay us. They were there with sufficient promptitude.
Perkins was a man of coolness and courage. He took his position
with admirable nonchalance; but I observed, when his eyes met mine,
that they were darkened with a scowl of anger. His brows were
contracted, and his face which was ordinarily red, had an increased
flush upon it which betrayed unusual excitement. He evidently
regarded me with feelings of bitter animosity. Perhaps this was
natural enough, if he believed the story of Mrs. Clifford--and my
scornful answer to his friend, Mr. Carter, was not calculated to
lessen the soreness. For my part, I am free to declare, I had not
the smallest sentiment of unkindness toward the fellow. I thought
little of him, but did not hate--I could not have hated him. I had
no wish to do him hurt; and, as already stated, only went out to
put a stop to the further annoyances of insolents and bullies, by
the only effectual mode--precisely as I should have used a bludgeon
over his head, in the event of a personal assault upon me. Of
course, I had no purpose to do him any injury, unless--with the
view to my own safety. I resolved secretly to throw away my fire.
Kingsley suspected me of some such intention, and earnestly protested
against it.
"I should not place you at all," he said, "if I fancied you could
do a thing so d---d foolish. The fellow intends to shoot you if he
can. Help him to a share of the same sauce."
I nodded as he proceeded to his arrangements. Here some conference
ensued between the seconds:-"Mr. Carter was very sorry that such a business must proceed. Was it
yet too late to rectify mistakes? Might not the matter be adjusted?"
Kingsley, on such occasions, the very prince of punctilio, agreed
that the matter was a very lamentable one--to be regretted, and so
forth--but of the necessity of the thing, he, Mr. Carter, for his
principal, must be the only judge.
"Mr. Carter could answer for his friend, Mr. Perkins, that he was
always accessible to reason."
"Mr. Kingsley never knew a man more so than HIS principal."
"May we not reconcile the parties?" demanded Mr. Carter.