oy me."

"And I mean to annoy you, too, before I have done with you. Will you
fight me?"

"Fight a duel with you,--with pistols? Certainly not."

"Then you are a coward, as I supposed."

"I should be a fool if I were to do such a thing as that."

"Look here, Mr Grey. You managed to worm yourself into an intimacy
with my cousin, Miss Vavasor, and to become engaged to her. When she
found out what you were, how paltry, and mean, and vile, she changed
her mind, and bade you leave her."

"Are you here at her request?"

"I am here as her representative."

"Self-appointed, I think."

"Then, sir, you think wrong. I am at this moment her affianced
husband; and I find that, in spite of all that she has said to
you,--which was enough, I should have thought, to keep any man of
spirit out of her presence,--you still persecute her by going to her
house, and forcing yourself upon her presence. Now, I give you two
alternatives. You shall either give me your written promise never to
go near her again, or you shall fight me."

"I shall do neither one nor the other,--as you know very well
yourself."

"Stop till I have done, sir. If you have courage enough to fight me,
I will meet you in any country. I will fight you here in London, or,
if you are afraid of that, I will go over to France, or to America,
if that will suit you better."

"Nothing of the kind will suit me at all. I don't want to have
anything to do with you."

"Then you are a coward."

"Perhaps I am;--but your saying so will not make me one."

"You are a coward, and a liar, and a blackguard. I have given you the
option of behaving like a gentleman, and you have refused it. Now,
look here. I have come here with arms, and I do not intend to leave
this room without using them, unless you will promise to give me the
meeting that I have proposed." And he took the pistol out of his
pocket.

"Do you mean that you are going to murder me?" Grey asked. There were
two windows in the room, and he had been sitting near to that which
was furthest removed from the fireplace, and consequently furthest
removed from the bell, and his visitor was now standing immediately
between him and the door. He had to think what steps he might best
take, and to act upon his decision instantly. He was by no means
a timid man, and was one, moreover, very little prone to believe
in extravagant action. He did not think, even now, that this
disappointed, ruined man had come there with any