"The honour of the regiment shall not suffer," he said, sternly,
"for I myself will meet this German cutthroat."
Seeing that his colonel was resolute, Rupert made a sign to Dillon
that he might speak, and he accordingly related to his astonished
comrades the substance of what Lord Fairholm had told him. Rupert's
brother officers could not believe the news; but Rupert suggested
that the matter could be easily settled if some foils were brought,
adding that half-an-hour's fencing would be useful to him, and get
his hand into work again. The proposal was agreed to, and first one
and then another of those recognized as the best swordsmen of the
regiment, took their places against him, but without exerting
himself in the slightest, he proved himself so infinitely their
superior that their doubts speedily changed into admiration, and
the meeting of the morrow was soon regarded with a feeling of not
only hope, but confidence.
It was late before Lord Fairholm rode up to the cornet's.
"Did you think I was never coming?" he asked as he entered Rupert's
quarters. "The affair has created quite an excitement, and just as
I was starting, two hours back, a message came to me to go to
headquarters. I found his lordship in a great passion, and he rated
me soundly, I can tell you, for undertaking to be second in such a
disgracefully uneven contest as this. When he had had his say, of
course I explained matters, pointed out that this German bully was
a nuisance to the whole army, and that you being, as I myself could
vouch, a sort of phenomenon with the sword, had taken the matter up
to save your brother officer from being killed.
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