CHAPTER VII

THE ONE HOPE


As he stopped and faced about, I as instantly halted.

"Perhaps this spot may satisfy your requirements," he said sarcastically.
"'Tis far enough away at least, and the light is not so bad."

"It will do," I replied, and threw my scarlet jacket on the grass. "Strip
to the white, sir, and then we can see fairly well where to strike.
That's better. On guard!"

Neither of us had mentioned the lady, preferring to base our quarrel on
other grounds, yet I fully comprehended that some unreasonable jealousy
on his part had led up to all this. Whatever the relations between them
might be, his desires were clear enough, as well as his methods for
keeping others away. This knowledge merely nerved me to steadiness; she
would hear of it all later and understand. The fellow's right to resent
the small attentions I had shown to Mistress Mortimer I questioned
greatly--she had plainly enough denied the existence of any relationship
between them other than family friendship,--and I meant to teach this
loyalist bully that I was not the sort to be driven away by loud words,
or the flash of a sword.

He came at me fiercely enough, confident of his mastery of the weapon,