Indian god; he might yell like a gale at sea; he might be more
terrible in appearance than a volcano in its passions; still I would
meet him.

There was a knock, and at my bidding a servant approached and said: "A
gentleman, Mr. Forister, wishes to see you, sir."

For a moment I was privately in a panic. Should I say that I was ill,
and then send for a doctor to prove that I was not ill? Should I run
straightway and hide under the bed? No!

"Bid the gentleman enter," said I to the servant.

Forister came in smiling, cool and deadly. "Good day to you, Mr.
O'Ruddy," he said, showing me his little teeth. "I am glad to see that
you are not for the moment consorting with highwaymen and other
abandoned characters who might succeed in corrupting your morals, Mr.
O'Ruddy. I have decided to kill you, Mr. O'Ruddy. You may have heard
that I am the finest swordsman in England, Mr. O'Ruddy?"

I replied calmly: "I have heard that you are the finest swordsman in
England, Mr. Forister, whenever better swordsmen have been traveling
in foreign parts, Mr. Forister, and when no visitors of fencing
distinction have taken occasion to journey here, Mr. Forister."

This talk did not give him pleasure, evidently. He had entered with
brave composure, but now he bit his lip and shot me a glance of
hatred. "I only wished to announce," he said savagely, "that I would
prefer to kill you in the morning as early as possible."

"And how may I render my small assistance to you, Mr. Forister? Have
you come to request me to arise at an untimely hour?"

I was very placid; but it was not for him to be coming to my chamber
with talk of killing me. Still, I thought that, inasmuch as he was
there, I might do some good to myself by irritating him slightly. I
continued:

"I to-day informed my friends--"

"Your friends!" said he.

"My friends," said I. "Colonel Royale in this matter."

"Colonel Royale!" said he.

"Colonel Royale," said I. "And if you are bound to talk more you had
best thrust your head from the window and talk to those chimneys
there, which will take far more interest in your speech than I can
work up. I was telling you that to-day I informed my friends--then you
interrupted me. Well, I informed them--but what the devil I informed
them of you will not know very soon. I can promise you, however, it
was not a thing you would care to hear with your hands tied behind
you."

"Here's a cold man with a belly full of ice," said he mus