Breakfast over—­an early meal taken by the light of candles, yet excellent of its kind—­and the pair went forth together, Tom carrying the two rapiers, as it was his duty to do.

The sun was just about to rise, and the mists lying over the river and fields were growing silver in the light, as they came in sight of the group of elms which had seen so many foolish and bloody contests between angry men, some of whom scarce knew why they fought at all, save that it was the fashion.

From the opposite direction three other figures were approaching—­two tall men and one little one.

“They bring a surgeon,” quoth Lord Claud, with a smile on his face; “perchance they are wise.  For myself, I never trouble to do so.  I count a leech a needless encumbrance.”

Tom looked curiously at the two foremost men as they drew near.  One of them struck him in particular.  He was very tall and very strongly made, though clumsy in figure and swarthy in face.  He had the look almost of a foreigner, Tom thought, with black eyes that twinkled with an evil and sinister expression, and never showed more than as a slit between half-shut lids.  He was marked with smallpox, and had taken no pains, today at any rate, to disguise the ravages of that malady.  He walked a little in advance of his companions, and when he got near to Lord Claud he stopped and made a sweeping bow, his eyes the while scanning Tom’s face and figure most closely.

“This is not the gentleman who waited on me,” he said in a rasping voice.

“No; that gentleman is laid up in his bed, and cannot keep his appointment; but this one will do the business equally well.

“Mr. Tufton of Gablehurst; let me present him to you, Sir James.”

The swarthy man looked Tom over from head to foot with an insolent stare.

“A fine young cub,” he said at length, “and well grown for his years.  One of the gang, I suppose?” and there was an ugly sneer upon his thick lips.

Tom looked at Lord Claud, wondering what the meaning of those words could be; but the quiet face looked as if carved in marble, save only that the eyes glowed like fire in their sockets.

He signed to Tom to produce the rapiers; and the second man came forward and examined and tested them, selecting that which his principal should use.  Then the ground was stepped, the most level place selected, and the two combatants stripped off coat and waistcoat, and prepared for the fray.

Tom drew his breath hard as he watched the commencement of the fight, and his face was full of anxiety, as he felt that the man addressed as Sir James had weight and length of reach beyond anything that Lord Claud could command.  But for a while both the men fought warily and without attempting to get to close quarters, and Tom began to lose his first breathless excitement, and to watch the play of shining blades with more coolness and observation.