But Puddock rallied quickly.

He was on the whole very happy, and did not grudge Mervyn his share of the talk, though he heard him ask leave to send Miss Gertrude Chattesworth a portfolio of his drawings made in Venice, to look over, which she with a smile accepted--and at supper, Puddock, at the general's instigation, gave them a solo, which went off pretty well, and, as they stood about the fire after it, on a similar pressure, an imitation of Barry in Othello; and upon this, Miss Becky, who was a furious partisan of Smock-alley Theatre and Mossop against Barry, Woodward, and the Crow-street play-house, went off again.

Indeed, this was a feud which just then divided the ladies of all Dublin, and the greater part of the country, with uncommon acrimony.
'Crow-street was set up,' she harangued, 'to ruin the old house in the spirit of covetousness, _you_ say' (Puddock had not said a word on the subject;) 'well, covetousness, we have good authority for saying, is idolatry--nothing less--_idolatry_, Sir,--you need not stare.' (Puddock certainly did stare.) 'I suppose you _once_ read your Bible, Sir, but every sensible man, woman, child, and infant, Sir, in the kingdom, knows it was malice; and malice, Holy Writ says, is _murder_--but I forgot, that's perhaps no very great objection with Lieutenant Puddock.' And little Puddock flushed up, and his round eyes grew rounder and rounder, as she proceeded, every moment; and he did not know what to say--for it had not struck him before that Messrs.

Barry's and Woodward's theatrical venture might be viewed in the light of idolatry or murder.

So dumfounded as he was, he took half of Lord Chesterfield's advice in such cases, that is, he forgot the smile, but he made a very low bow, and, with this submission, the combat (_si rixa est_) subsided.
Dangerfield had gone away some time--so had Mervyn--Sturk and his wife went next, and Cluffe and Puddock, who lingered as long as was decent, at last took leave.