"
"Fellow, sir! I think you said--_Fellow_, sir!"
"I did, sir,--fellow was the word I used, and I repeat
it--fellow--fellow!"
"You do, sir! and I throw back in your teeth, sir, with the addition of
fool, sir!"
"Fool!--no, no--not quite a fool--only _near_ one, sir!"
"You're a conceited puppy, sir!"
"And you are an impudent scoundrel, sir!"
This brought matters to a crisis. The parties embraced their canes with
more than ordinary ardour, and, by their lowering looks, indicated a
fervent desire to violate the peace of her blessed Majesty, when the fair
cause of their contention suddenly entered the apartment.
It was no difficult matter, in the positions they occupied, for Georgiana
to divine the reason of their animosity; which she effectually allayed by
informing the angry disputants, "that either had no reason to look upon
the other with any degree of jealousy, for she humbly begged to assure
them that her affections were devoted to--_neither_."
This, of course, put a full stop to their chivalry: each party seized his
hat, bowing distantly to the insensible Georgiana, and left the house,
vowing certain destruction to the other; but, upon cool reflection,
Messrs.
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