For the second time, and for the last, I cast these charges in your teeth, and spurn you from me as I would a faithless dog!' With that he raised his arm, and struck him on the breast so that he staggered.

Sir John, the instant he recovered, drew his sword, threw away the scabbard and his hat, and running on his adversary made a desperate lunge at his heart, which, but that his guard was quick and true, would have stretched him dead upon the grass.
In the act of striking him, the torrent of his opponent's rage had reached a stop.

He parried his rapid thrusts, without returning them, and called to him, with a frantic kind of terror in his face, to keep back.
'Not to-night! not to-night!' he cried.

'In God's name, not tonight!' Seeing that he lowered his weapon, and that he would not thrust in turn, Sir John lowered his.
'Not to-night!' his adversary cried.

'Be warned in time!' 'You told me--it must have been in a sort of inspiration--' said Sir John, quite deliberately, though now he dropped his mask, and showed his hatred in his face, 'that this was the last time.