"If Jack Pringle should have betrayed me--but, no; he could not do that, he is too true. I'm sure of Jack; and how did that son of a gallipot hint about the odd fish I sent Jack to?"
Filled with a dubious kind of belief which he had about something he had heard of Jack Pringle, he entered the room, where he met Marchdale, Jack Pringle, and Henry Bannerworth. Immediately afterwards, Mr. Chillingworth entered the apartment.
"I have," said he, "been to Sir Francis Varney, and there had an interview with him, and with Mr. Pringle; when I found we were both intent upon the same object, namely, an encounter with the knight by our principals."
"Eh?" said the admiral.
"What!" exclaimed Henry; "had he challenged you, admiral?"
"Challenged me!" exclaimed Admiral Bell, with a round oath. "I--however--since it comes to this, I must admit I challenged him."
"That's what I did," said Henry Bannerworth, after a moment's thought; "and I perceive we have both fallen into the same line of conduct."
"That is the fact," said Mr. Chillingworth. "Both Mr. Pringle and I went there to settle the preliminaries, and we found an insurmountable bar to any meeting taking place at all."
"He wouldn't fight, then?" exclaimed Henry. "I see it all now."
"Not fight!" said Admiral Bell, with a sort of melancholy disappointment. "D--n the cowardly rascal! Tell me, Jack Pringle, what did the long horse-marine-looking slab say to it? He told me he would fight. Why he ought to be made to stand sentry over the wind."
"You challenged him in person, too, I suppose?" said Henry.
"Yes, confound him! I went there last night."
"And I too."
"It seems to me," said Marchdale, "that this affair has been not indiscretely conducted; but somewhat unusually and strangely, to say the least of it."
"You see," said Chillingworth, "Sir Francis was willing to fight both Henry and the admiral, as he told us."
"Yes," said Jack; "he told us he would fight us both, if so be as his light was not doused in the first brush."
"That was all that was wanted," said the admiral.
"We could expect no more."
"But then he desired to meet you without any second; but, of course, I would not accede to this proposal. The responsibility was too great and too unequally borne by the parties engaged in the rencontre."
"Decidedly," said Henry; "but it is unfortunate--very unfortunate."
"Very," said the admiral--"very. What a rascally thing it is there ain't another rogue in the country to keep him in countenance."
[Illustration]
"I thought it was a pity to spoil sport," said Jack Pringle. "It was a pity a good intention should be spoiled, and I promised the wamphigher that if as how he would fight, you should second him, and you'd meet him to do so."
"Eh! who? I!" exclaimed the admiral in some perplexity.
"Yes; that is the truth," said Mr. Chillingworth. "Mr Pringle said you would do so, and he then and there pledged his word that you should meet him on the ground and second him."
"Yes," said Jack "You must do it. I knew you would not spoil sport, and that there had better be a fight than no fight. I believe you'd sooner see a scrimmage than none, and so it's all arranged."
"Very well," said the admiral, "I only wish Mr. Henry Bannerworth had been his second; I think I was entitled to the first meeting."
"No," said Jack, "you warn't, for Mr. Chillingworth was there first; first come first served, you know."
"Well, well, I mustn't grumble at another man's luck; mine'll come in turn; but it had better be so than a disappointment altogether; I'll be second to this Sir Francis Varney; he shall have fair play, as I'm an admiral; but, d----e he shall fight--yes, yes, he shall fight."
"And to this conclusion I would come," said Henry, "I wish him to fight; now I will take care that he shall not have any opportunity of putting me on one side quietly."
"There is one thing," observed Marchdale, "that I wished to propose. After what has passed, I should not have returned, had I not some presentiment that something was going forward in which I could be useful to my friend."
"Oh!" said the admiral, with a huge twist of his countenance.
"What I was about to say was this,--Mr. Chillingworth has much to lose as he is situated, and I nothing as I am placed. I am chained down to no spot of earth. I am above following a profession--my means, I mean, place me above the necessity. Now, Henry, allow me to be your second in this affair; allow Mr. Chillingworth to attend in his professional capacity; he may be of service--of great service to one of the principals; whereas, if he go in any other capacity, he will inevitably have his own safety to consult."