Mr. Mahony, though a magnificent gentleman, was, perhaps, a little stupid, and he mistook Puddock’s agitation, and thought he was in a passion, and disposed to be offensive.  He, therefore, with a marked and stern sort of elegance, replied—­

’Pison, Sir, is a remarkably strong alpathet; it’s language, Sir, which, if a gentleman uses at all, he’s bound in justice, in shivalry, and in dacency to a generous adversary, to define with precision.  Mr. Nutter is too well known to the best o’society, moving in a circle as he does, to require the panegyric of humble me.  They drank together last night, they differed in opinion, that’s true, but fourteen clear hours has expired, and pison being mentioned——­’

‘Why, body o’ me!  Sir,’ lisped Puddock, in fierce horror; ’can you imagine for one moment, Sir, that I or any man living could suppose for an instant, that my respected friend, Mr. Nutter, to whom (a low bow to Nutter, returned by that gentleman) I have now the misfortune to be opposed, is capable—­capable, Sir, of poisoning any living being—­man, woman, or child; and to put an end, Sir, at once to all misapprehension upon this point, it was I—­I, Sir—­myself—­who poisoned him, altogether accidentally, of course, by a valuable, but mismanaged receipt, this morning, Sir—­you—­you see, Mr. Nutter!’

Nutter, balked of his gentlemanlike satisfaction, stared with a horrified but somewhat foolish countenance from Puddock to O’Flaherty.

‘And now, Thir,’ pursued Puddock, addressing himself to Mr. Mahony, ’if Mr. Nutter desires to postpone the combat, I consent; if not, I offer mythelf to maintain it inthead of my printhipal.’

And so he made another low bow, and stood bareheaded, hat in hand, with his right hand on his sword hilt.

’Upon my honour, Captain Puddock, it’s precisely what I was going to propose myself, Sir,’ said Mahony, with great alacrity; ’as the only way left us of getting honourably out of the great embarrassment in which we are placed by the premature death-struggles of your friend; for nothing, Mr. Puddock, but being bona fide in articulo mortis, can palliate his conduct.’

‘My dear Puddock,’ whispered Devereux, in his ear, ’surely you would not kill Nutter to oblige two such brutes as these?’ indicating by a glance Nutter’s splendid second and the magnanimous O’Flaherty, who was still sitting speechless upon the ground.

‘Captain Puddock,’ pursued that mirror of courtesy, Mr. Patrick Mahony, of Muckafubble, who, by-the-bye, persisted in giving him his captaincy, may I enquire who’s your friend upon this unexpected turn of affairs?’

‘There’s no need, Sir,’ said Nutter, dryly and stoutly, ’I would not hurt a hair of your head, Lieutenant Puddock.’

‘Do you hear him?’ panted O’Flaherty, for the first time articulate, and stung by the unfortunate phrase—­it seemed fated that Nutter should not open his lips without making some allusion to human hair:  ’do you hear him, Puddock?  Mr. Nutter—­(he spoke with great difficulty, and in jerks)—­Sir—­Mr. Nutter—­you shall—­ugh—­you shall render a strict accow-ow-oh-im-m-m!’