It is true, he had not the faintest notion why he was singled out for the young gentleman's impertinence; but neither did he mean to enquire.

His mahogany features darkened for a moment to logwood, and his eyes showed their whites fiercely.
'We are not accustomed, Sir, in this part of the world, to your Connaught notions of politeness; we meet here for social--a--a--sociality, Sir; and the long and the short of it is, young gentleman, if you don't change your key, you'll find two can play at that game--and--and, I tell you, Sir, there will be wigs on the green, Sir.' Here several voices interposed.
'Silence, gentlemen, and let me speak, or I'll assault him,' bellowed O'Flaherty, who, to do him justice, at this moment looked capable of anything.

'I believe, Sir,' he continued, addressing Nutter, who confronted him like a little game-cock, 'it is not usual for one gentleman who renders himself offensive to another to oblige him to proceed to the length of manually malthrating his person.' 'Hey! eh ?' said Nutter, drawing his mouth tight on one side with an ugly expression, and clenching his hands in his breeches pockets.
'Manually malthrating his person, Sir,' repeated O'Flaherty, 'by striking, kicking, or whipping any part or mimber of his body; or offering a milder assault, such as a pull by the chin, or a finger-tap upon the nose.

It is usual, Sir, for the purpose of avoiding ungentlemanlike noise, inconvenience, and confusion, that one gentleman should request of another to suppose himself affronted in the manner, whatever it may be, most intolerable to his feelings, which request I now, Sir, teeke the libertee of preferring to you; and when you have engaged the services of a friend, I trust that Lieutenant Puddock, who lodges in the same house with me, will, in consideration of my being an officer of the same honourable corps, a sthranger in this part of the counthry, and, above all, a gentleman who can show paydagree like himself [here a low bow to Puddock, who returned it]; that Lieutenant Puddock will be so feelin' and so kind as to receive him on my behalf, and acting as _my_ friend to manage all the particulars for settling, as easily as may be, this most unprovoked affair.' With which words he made another bow, and a pause of enquiry directed to Puddock, who lisped with dignity-- 'Sir, the duty is, for many reasons, painful; but I--I can't refuse, Sir, and I accept the trust.' So O'Flaherty shook his hand, with another bow; bowed silently and loftily round the room, and disappeared, and a general buzz and a clack of tongues arose.
'Mr.Nutter--a--I hope things may be settled pleasantly,' said Puddock, looking as tall and weighty as he could; 'at present I--a--that is, at the moment, I--a--don't quite see--[the fact is, he had not a notion what the deuce it was all about]--but your friend will find me--your friend--a--at my lodgings up to one o'clock to-night, if necessary.' And so Puddock's bow.

For the moment an affair of this sort presented itself, all concerned therein became reserved and official, and the representatives merely of a ceremonious etiquette and a minutely-regulated ordeal of battle.