"I ask your pardon, Mr. Sheridan; I was a bit premature," said Major O'Teague. "I won't inquire what your reasons are for fighting Mathews; I never preshume to pry into the motives of gentlemen for whom I act. I hold that 'twould be an insult to their intelligence to do so. Besides, if one were to inquire into the rights and wrongs of every quarrel before it takes place, all manhood would die out of England inside a year. No, sir; after the fight is the time to inquire, just as after dinner is the time for the speeches."
But when Major O'Teague called upon Dick the same evening, as courtesy demanded, a wonderful smile came over his face while he said:
"What is there about that paddock opposite the iron gate by the Gloucester Road that makes your friend insist on it as the place of meeting?"
"I give you my word that I have no notion," replied Dick. "Why should Captain Mathews object to it?"
"That's more than I can say, sir," said O'Teague. "But, by the Lord Harry, I had a long job getting him to agree to that point. You should have seen his face when I told him that we were to meet at that same paddock. He turned as white as a sheet, and said that Mr. Long meant to insult him by making such a suggestion. ''Tis not there that I'll fight,' said he, quite livid. You'll excuse me introducing the special oaths that he made use of, Mr. Sheridan?"
"I am quite sure that their omission is more excusable than their utterance would be," said Dick. "But he consented to the ground at last?"
"Ay, at last. But between the first hint of the matter and this 'at last' a good deal of conversation occurred. 'Twas pretty near my gentleman came to having a third affair pressed on him. For some reason or other he wanted to fight nearer town. Well, to be sure, it would be more homelike. I never did believe in the suburbs myself, and, besides, 'twill be very inconvenient for the spectators. Still----"
"My dear major," cried Dick, "I trust that there will be no spectators beyond those gentlemen."
"What, sir, would you propose to exclude the public from this entertainment? I hope that is not your idea of what is due to the intelligent curiosity of the people of Bath? Asking your pardon, Mr. Sheridan, I must say that you have no notion at all of fair play."