
and Rawdon felt with a kind of rage that his prey was escaping him. He did not
believe a word of the story, and yet, how discredit or disprove it?
    Mr. Wenham continued with the same fluent oratory, which in his place in
Parliament he had so often practised - »I sate for an hour or more by Lord
Steyne's bedside, beseeching, imploring Lord Steyne to forego his intention of
demanding a meeting. I pointed out to him that the circumstances were after all
suspicious - they were suspicious. I acknowledge it, - any man in your position
might have been taken in. I said that a man furious with jealously is to all
intents and purposes a madman, and should be as such regarded; that a duel
between you must lead to the disgrace of all parties concerned; that a man of
his Lordship's exalted station had no right in these days, when the most
atrocious revolutionary principles and the most dangerous levelling doctrines
are preached among the vulgar, to create a public scandal; and that, however
innocent, the common people would insist that he was guilty. In fine, I implored
him not to send the challenge.«
    »I don't believe one word of the whole story,« said Rawdon, grinding his
teeth. »I believe it a d-- lie, and that you're in it, Mr. Wenham. If the
challenge don't come from him, by Jove, it shall come from me.«
    Mr. Wenham turned deadly pale at this savage interruption of the Colonel,
and looked towards the door.
    But he found a champion in Captain Macmurdo. That gentleman rose up with an
oath, and rebuked Rawdon for his language. »You put the affair into my hands,
and you shall act as I think fit, by Jove, and not as you do. You have not right
to insult Mr. Wenham with this sort of language; and dammy, Mr. Wenham, you
deserve an apology. And as for a challenge to Lord Steyne, you may get somebody
else to carry it, I won't. If my Lord, after being thrashed, chooses to sit
still, dammy let him. And as for the affair with - with Mrs. Crawley, my belief
is, there's nothing proved at all; that your wife's innocent, as innocent as Mr.
Wenham says she is; and, any rate, that you would be a d-- fool not to take the
place and hold your tongue.«
    »Captain Macmurdo, you speak
