“‘Yes,’ said the other, ’as arrant a poltroon as ever I met.  I tell you, you must either fight him, or publish a statement of your own unparalleled disgrace.  Don’t think you shall get out of it.’

“‘I tell you, sir,’ said Val, ’that he shall not fight him.  I would not suffer a son of mine to put himself on a level with such a person as young M’Loughlin.’

“’On a level with him he never will be, for no earthly advantage could raise him to it; but pray, Mr. M’Clutchy, who are you?’

“’Val’s brow fell, and his lip paled and quivered, as the fine young fellow looked him steadily in the face.

“‘Never mind him, father,’ said Phil ‘you know he’s a fire-eater.’

“‘There is no use in altercations of this sort,’ replied Val, calmly.  ’As for young M’Loughlin, or old M’Loughlin, if they think themselves injured, they have the laws of the land to appeal to for redress.  As for us, we will fight them with other weapons besides pistols and firearms.’

“‘D——­ my honor,’ said, Phil, ’if I’d stoop to fight any Papist.  Aren’t they all rebels?  And what gentleman would fight a rebel?’

“‘Honor!’ exclaimed Hartley; ’don’t profane that sacred word—­I can have no more patience with such a craven-hearted rascal, who could stoop to such base revenge against the unsullied reputation of a virtuous and admirable girl, because she spurned your scoundrelly addresses.’

“‘He never paid his addresses to her,’ said Val;—­’never.’

“’No I didn’t,’said Phil.  ’At any rate I never had any notion of marrying her.’

“‘You are a dastardly liar, sir,’ responded Hartley.  ’You know you had.  How can your father and you look each other in the face, when you say so?’

“‘Go on,’ said Phil, ’you’re a fire-eater:  so you may say what you like.’

“’Didn’t your father, in your name, propose for her upon some former occasion, in the fair of Castle Cumber, and he remembers the answer he got.’

“‘Go on,’ said Phil, ’you’re a fire-eater; that’s all I have to say to you.’

“’And now, having ruined her reputation by a base and cowardly plot concocted with a wicked old woman, who would blast the whole family if she could, because M’Loughlin transported her felon son; you, now, like a paltry clown as you are, skulk out of the consequences of your treachery, and refuse to give satisfaction for the diabolical injury you have inflicted on the whole family.’

“‘Go on,’ said Phil, ‘you’re a fire-eater.’

“‘You forget,’ said Val, ’that I am a magistrate, and what the consequences may be to yourself for carrying a hostile message.’

“‘Ah,’ said Hartley, ’you are a magistrate, and shame on the government that can stoop to the degradation of raising such rascals as you are to become dispensers of justice; it is you and the like of you, that are a curse to the country.  As for you, Phil M’Clutchy, I now know, and always suspected, the stuff you are made of.  You are a disgrace to the very Orangemen you associate with; for they are, in general, brave fellows, although too often cruel and oppressive when hunted on and stimulated by such as you and your rascally upstart of a father.’