Monsieur de Kerguel bowed. "Assuredly, Monsieur le Général," he replied.
"You will excuse us then for an instant?" said he, as he motioned Spunyarn to the window. "This is a beastly affair, your lordship. It won't admit of arrangement. Do you know if the Frenchman is best at swords or pistols?"
"Can't say, I'm sure," replied his lordship; "probably he's a dab at both. I know he was a newspaper man. They all are fighting men."
"It's most unfortunate for our man; they'll have to fight. Is Haggard any good at either?"
"I don't think he can shoot, at least not in a regulation affair. I know he can use a revolver, and he is very good at single-stick."
"It's a heavy responsibility," replied the general seriously. "If it had been arranged for this morning at dawn we might have had a chance with the pistols, for perhaps the Frenchman's hand would have been unsteady. I suppose it was a good knock-down blow?"
"A regular snorter!" said his lordship with enthusiasm.
"Most unfortunate. Well, we must try our luck with a regulation sabre; they can't well refuse it; ours is the stronger and bigger man. I don't think there's any room for doubt, eh? But it's a precious nuisance. Man's got his wife here too. It's sure to be in the papers. Beastly nuisance; we shall all have to clear out, for I suppose it won't be a mere matter of scratches. It must come off at once too, or we shall be suspected of shirking. I think that's the only course," said the general as he pulled down his wristbands.
"I'm afraid so," said his lordship.
They rejoined the Frenchman.