"Ay, you have escaped, Henry; let me congratulate you."
"Not so fast; we may fire again."
"I can afford to do that," he said, with a smile.
"You should have fired, sir, according to custom," said the admiral; "this is not the proper thing."
"What, fire at your friend?"
"Oh, that's all very well! You are my friend for a time, vampyre as you are, and I intend you shall fire."
"If Mr. Henry Bannerworth demands another fire, I have no objection to it, and will fire at him; but as it is I shall not do so, indeed, it would be quite useless for him to do so—to point mortal weapons at me is mere child's play, they will not hurt me."
"The devil they won't," said the admiral.
"Why, look you here," said Sir Francis Varney, stepping forward and placing his hand to his neckerchief; "look you here; if Mr. Henry Bannerworth should demand another fire, he may do so with the same bullet."
"The same bullet!" said Marchdale, stepping forward—"the same bullet! How is this?"