Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/266

 with him quietly drop than to come to any disagreeable and public explanations upon this affair."

"'Thus did this artful villain endeavour to guard against any éclaircissement between me and my friend which might produce a discovery of the trick he had played; and had my temper been cooler he would have succeeded; but I was then quite incapable of attending to any considerations of prudence; and, in the height of my rage, ran downstairs to seek satisfaction of the injured Dumont for the wrongs I falsely imagined he had done me, Upon inquiry I found he was gone out through the garden into a field, the properest place in the world for my present purpose. He was alone, out of either the hearing or sight of any mortal. The moment I came near enough to be heard, I drew my sword, and called on him to defend himself: it was in this instant that Dumont (notwithstanding the surprise he must undoubtedly be in) collected all his resolution, and exerted the highest friendship, to prevent the happening of an accident so fatal as must either have cost me my life or destroyed all my future peace. In short, all the opprobrious language I could give him could not provoke him to draw his sword; but with the warmest entreaties he begged me to put up mine, till we could come to some éclaircissement. "'I now began to think he added cowardice to treachery, and in my rage had not command enough of myself to forbear adding the name of coward to the rest of my reproaches. Still he bore it all: at last he swore if I would but have patience till he knew what it was that had thrown me into this passion, if he could not clear himself, he would not refuse to fight with me whenever I pleased. My fury being a little abated by these words, I put up my sword, and then told him all I thought I had overheard between him and Le Neuf. It is