“Then I tell you, you ought to be ashamed of yourself to be bargaining with my son in a clandestine manner, fooling me, and making me appear ridiculous. But I tell you to your face—for I am not a sneaking coward—I tell you, that you have acted most dishonorably, inveigling Clarence into bargains unbeknown to me, inducing him, with seductive bribes, to act most dishonorably towards me.”
“What were those bribes?” Don Mariano asked.
“What were they? Your daughter's pretty looks, by G—!”
“Oh, father!” exclaimed Everett, turning very pale.
“Pshaw! That is too low,” the Don said, turning his horse towards his house.
Darrell spurred his and stood in the way.
“Too low, you say? And isn't it low to act as you have? And now you want to sneak off like a coward, and not give me any satisfaction.”
“I am ready to give you any satisfaction you want, but demand it like a gentleman. I am no Peter Roper, or Gasbang, or Billy Mathews, to have a tumble-down fist-fight in the dirt with you. If you forget your dignity, I do not,” the Don replied, again trying to go towards his house.
Darrell again placed his horse in front to intercept his road, and said, livid with rage:
“And why didn't you think of your dignity when you paraded your daughter (like a pretty filly for sale) before my son, to get his money! Damn you! can't I make you fight? Won't you be insulted, you coward? I'll publish your cowardice all over California.”