The O'Ruddy: A Romance. Barr Robert
I continued:
"I to-day informed my friends – "
"Your friends!" said he.
"My friends," said I. "Colonel Royale in this matter."
"Colonel Royale!" said he.
"Colonel Royale," said I. "And if you are bound to talk more you had best thrust your head from the window and talk to those chimneys there, which will take far more interest in your speech than I can work up. I was telling you that to-day I informed my friends – then you interrupted me. Well, I informed them – but what the devil I informed them of you will not know very soon. I can promise you, however, it was not a thing you would care to hear with your hands tied behind you."
"Here's a cold man with a belly full of ice," said he musingly. "I have wronged him. He has a tongue on him, he has that. And here I have been judging from his appearance that he was a mere common dolt. And, what, Mr. O'Ruddy," he added, "were you pleased to say to the gentlemen which I would not care to hear with my hands tied behind me?"
"I told them why you took that sudden trip to Bristol," I answered softly.
He fairly leaped in a sudden wild rage. "You – told them?" he stuttered. "You poltroon! 'Twas a coward's work!"
"Be easy," said I, to soothe him. "'Tis no more cowardly than it is for the best swordsman in England to be fighting the worst swordsman in Ireland over a matter in which he is entirely in the wrong, although 'tis not me that cares one way or another way. Indeed, I prefer you to be in the wrong, you little black pig."
"Stop," said he, with a face as white as milk. "You told them – you told them about – about the girl at Bristol?"
"What girl at Bristol?" said I innocently. "'Tis not me to be knowing your wenches in Bristol or otherwheres."
A red flush came into the side of his neck and swelled slowly across his cheeks. "If you've told them about Nell!"
"Nell?" said I. "Nell? Yes, that's the name. Nell. Yes, Nell. And if I told them about Nell?"
"Then," he rejoined solemnly, "I shall kill you ten times if I lose my soul in everlasting hell for it."
"But after I have killed you eleven times I shall go to Bristol and have some sweet interviews with fair Nell," said I. This sting I expected to call forth a terrific outburst, but he remained scowling in dark thought. Then I saw where I had been wrong. This Nell was now more a shame than a sweetheart, and he was afraid that word had been passed by me to the brother of – Here was a chance to disturb him. "When I was making my little joke of you and your flame at Bristol," said I thoughtfully, "I believe there were no ladies present. I don't remember quite. Any how we will let that pass. 'Tis of no consequence."
And here I got him in full cry. "God rot you!" he shrieked. His sword sprang and whistled in the air.
"Hold," said I, as a man of peace. "'Twould be murder. My weapon is on the bed, and I am too lazy to go and fetch it. And in the mean time let me assure you that no word has crossed my lips in regard to Nell, your Bristol sweetheart, for the very excellent reason that I never knew of her existence until you yourself told me some moments ago."
Never before had he met a man like me. I thought his under-jaw would drop on the floor.
"Up to a short time ago," said I candidly, "your indecent amours were safe from my knowledge. I can be in the way of putting myself as silent as a turtle when it comes to protecting a man from his folly with a woman. In fact, I am a gentleman. But," I added sternly, "what of the child?"
"The child?" he cried jumping. "May hell swallow you! And what may you know of the child?"
I waved my hand in gentle deprecation of his excitement as I said:
"Peace, Forister; I know nothing of any child. It was only an observation by a man of natural wit who desired to entertain himself. And, pray, how old is the infant?"
He breathed heavily. "You are a fiend," he answered. Keeping his eyes on the floor, he deliberated upon his choice of conduct. Presently he sheathed his sword and turned with some of his old jauntiness toward the door. "Very good," said he. "To-morrow we shall know more of our own affairs."
"True," I replied.
"We shall learn if slyness and treachery are to be defeated by fair-going and honour."
"True," said I.
"We shall learn if a snake in the grass can with freedom bite the foot of a lion."
"True," said I.
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. "My friend and I," he said, "were discussing the probabilities of my killing him in the morning. He seems to think that he has some small chance for his life, but I have assured him that any real betting man would not wager a grain of sand that he would see the sun go down to-morrow."
"Even so," rejoined the Colonel imperturbably.
"And I also suggested to my friend," pursued Forister, "that to-morrow I would sacrifice my ruffles for him, although I always abominate having a man's life-blood about my wrists."
"Even so," quoth the undisturbed Colonel.
"And further I suggested to my friend that if he came to the ground with a coffin on his back, it might promote expedition after the affair was over."
Colonel Royale turned away with a gesture of disgust.
I thought it was high time to play an ace at Forister and stop his babble, so I said:
"And when Mr. Forister had finished his graceful remarks we had some talk regarding Mr. Forister's affairs in Bristol, and I confess I was much interested in hearing about the little – "
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."
CHAPTER VIII
As the door closed upon Forister, Colonel Royale beat his hand passionately against the wall. "O'Ruddy," he cried, "if you could severely maim that cold-blooded bully, I would be willing to adopt you as my legitimate grandfather. I would indeed."
"Never fear me," said I. "I shall pink him well."
"Aye," said my friend, looking at me mournfully, "I ever feared your Irish light-heartedness. 'Twill not do to be confident. He is an evil man, but a great swordsman. Now I never liked Ponsonby, and Stewart was the most lovable of men; but in the great duel Ponsonby killed – "
"No," I interrupted, "damn the duel between Ponsonby and Stewart. I'm sick of it. This is to be the duel between The O'Ruddy and Forister, and it won't be like the other."
"Eh, well," said the Colonel good-naturedly; "make your mind easy. But I hope to God you lay him flat."
"After I have finished with him," said I in measured tones, "he will be willing to sell himself as a sailor to go to the Indies; only, poor devil, he won't be able to walk, which is always a drawback after a hard fight, since it leaves one man incapable on the ground and thus discloses strong evidence of a struggle."
I could see that Colonel Royale had no admiration for my bragging air, but how otherwise was I to keep up my spirits? With all my discouragements it seemed to me that I was privileged to do a little fine lying. Had my father been in my place, he would have lied Forister into such a corner that the man would be thinking that he had the devil for an opponent. My father knew more about such matters.
Still I could not help but be thinking how misfortunate it was that I had kicked a great swordsman out of this inn at Bristol when