For would it not be sweet to make the strength of his arm respected?
He took a stick, and ran his eye musingly along the length, trifling with it grimly.

The great Mel had been his son's instructor in the chivalrous science of fence, and a maitre d'armes in Portugal had given him polish.

In Mel's time duels with swords had been occasionally fought, and Evan looked on the sword as the weapon of combat.

Face to face with his adversary--what then were birth or position?
Action!--action! he sighed for it, as I have done since I came to know that his history must be morally developed.

A glow of bitter pleasure exalted him when, after hot passages, and parryings and thrusts, he had disarmed Ferdinand Laxley, and bestowing on him his life, said: 'Accept this worthy gift of the son of a tailor!' and he wiped his sword, haply bound up his wrist, and stalked off the ground, the vindicator of man's natural dignity.