“I am obliged to you for the information, but I see nothing in it to prevent my pitching you into the water.”
“You may be right, sir; but even should you drown me, I do not perceive how it will improve your affairs. You will only have one friend less, and very certainly one misfortune more.”
“It appears, sir, that you have pretensions to wit.”
“I do not know which of us two has the most, sir; I, who would enlighten you on your situation, or you who would throw me into the river for offering you my assistance.”
“I am your debtor, sir, but a gentleman descended from the last Dukes of Lorraine cannot accept the offers of a stranger.”
“And from whom can you expect them here, if not from a stranger.”
“Permit me to inform you, sir, that no gentleman is reduced to humiliation who retains his sword.”
“Why, how would you use it?”
“To chastise the scoundrel who would insult me with his importunate pity, and then, rather than expose myself to repeated injury, thrust it through my own body.”
“You speak proudly; but acknowledge that you can do better than thus to insult God by disposing of the life of your fellow being and yourself. Are you sure there is no resource left you but suicide?”