“There was a blow, sir!—a blow!” said Magennis, in the same stern tone.
“I opine that everything that occurred was purely accidental,—just hear me out,—that a hasty word and a hurried gesture, complicated with the impatient movement of a horse—”
A long whistle from Magennis interrupted the speech, and the Major, reddening to the very top of his high forehead, said,—
“Sir, this is unbecoming,—are you aware of it?”
“I'm quite ready for anything when this is settled,” said Magennis, but with less composure than he desired to assume. “What I meant was, that for a blow there is but one reparation.”
“Doubtless, if the injury admit of no explanation,” said the Major, calmly; “but in that lies the whole question. Consider two things, Captain Magennis: first of all, the equivocal appearance of your friend, the age and standing of mine.”
“By Jove! you'll kill me in trying to save my life,” said Repton, bursting into the room. “I didn't want to play eavesdropper, Froode, but these thin partitions are only soundboards for the voice. This gentleman,” added he, turning to Magennis, “is perfectly correct. There was a blow; and a blow has only one consequence, and that one I 'm ready for. There may be, for aught I know, twenty ways of settling these matters in London or at the clubs, but we 're old-fashioned in our notions in Ireland here; and I don't think that even when we pick up new fashions that we 're much the better for them, so that if your friend is here, Captain, and ready—”
“Both, sir; here and ready!”
“Then so am I; and now for the place. Come, Froode, you don't know Ireland as well as I do; just humor me this time, and whenever I get into a scrape in Scotland you shall have it all your own way. Eh, Captain, is n't that fair?”
“Spoke like a trump!” muttered Magennis.