In the first place, conscious as you are of your skill with that weapon, you know that this affair--even had seconds been present--would have been, not a duel, but an assassination.

You acted like a coward!--I say it, sir, like a coward!--and I hope you may live to be as much ashamed of yourself as I am now ashamed for you.

Secondly, your conduct, considered in its relations to--to certain persons whom I will not name, is that of a boor and a blackguard.

Suppose you had accomplished the cowardly murder--the cowardly murder, I said, sir--that you were bent upon to-night.

Do you think that would be a grateful and acceptable return for the courtesy and confidence that have been shown you in that house ?--a house, sir, to which I myself introduced you, under the mistaken belief that you were a gentleman, or, at least, could feign gentlemanly behavior! But I won't--my feelings won't allow me to enlarge further upon this point.
But allow me to add, in the third place, that you have shown yourself a purblind donkey.