This was done in a somewhat startling way (premeditated, as I found out afterwards).

One evening I was playing at whist, one of my opponents being a momentarily discarded lover of my young lady; I thought he was looking very distrait; however, things went off quietly enough for some time, till on some trifling question arising concerning the rules of the game, the young man suddenly and quite gratuitously insulted me most grossly, ending his insolent conduct by throwing his cards in my face.

This was more than I could put up with, so I called him out, and the next morning put a ball into his ankle, which prevented him dancing for a long time to come.

He, being the best dancer in the colony, was rather severely punished; it seems that he had undertaken to bell the cat, hardly expecting such unpleasant results.
On returning home after the hostile meeting I found a much more formidable adversary in the shape of the governor himself, who was stamping furiously up and down the verandah of my apartment.

He received me with, 'What the d--- l do you mean, young sir, by making love to my daughter?
you are a mere boy.' (I was twenty and did not relish his remark.) 'What means have you got ?' After the old gentleman's steam had gone down a little I replied, 'Really, general, I hardly know how to answer you.