LETTER LXII
MR. LOVELACE, TO JOHN BELFORD, ESQ.TRENT, DEC. 3--14.
To-morrow is to be the day, that will, in all probability, send eitherone or two ghosts to attend the manes of my CLARISSA.
I arrived here yesterday; and inquiring for an English gentleman of thename of Morden, soon found out the Colonel's lodgings. He had been intown two days; and left his name at every probable place.
He was gone to ride out; and I left my name, and where to be found; andin the evening he made me a visit.
He was plaguy gloomy. That was not I. But yet he told me that I hadacted like a man of true spirit in my first letter; and with honour, ingiving him so readily this meeting. He wished I had in other respects;and then we might have seen each other upon better terms than now we did.
I said there was no recalling what was passed; and that I wished somethings had not been done, as well as he.
To recriminate now, he said, would be as exasperating as unavailable.And as I had so cheerfully given him this opportunity, words should giveplace to business.--Your choice, Mr. Lovelace, of time, of place, ofweapon, shall be my choice.
The two latter be your's, Mr. Morden. The time to-morrow, or next day,as you please.
Next day, then, Mr. Lovelace; and we'll ride out to-morrow, to fix theplace.
Agreed, Sir.
Well: now, Mr. Lovelace, do you choose the weapon.
I said I believed we might be upon an equal footing with the singlerapier; but, if he thought otherwise, I had no objection to a pistol.
I will only say, replied he, that the chances may be more equal by thesword, because we can neither of us be to seek in that; and you wouldstand, says he, a worse chance, as I apprehend, with a pistol; and yetI have brought two, that you may take your choice of either; for, addedhe, I have never missed a mark at pistol-distance, since I knew how tohold a pistol.
I told him, that he spoke like himself; that I was expert enough thatway, to embrace it, if he chose it; though not so sure of my mark ashe pretended to be. Yet the devil's in it, Colonel, if I, who have slita bullet in two upon a knife's edge, hit not my man. So I have noobjection to a pistol, if it be your choice. No man, I'll venture tosay, has a steadier hand or eye than I have.
They may both be of use to you, Sir, at the sword, as well as at thepistol: the sword, therefore, be the thing, if you please.
With all my heart.
We parted with a solemn sort of ceremonious civility: and this day Icalled upon him; and we rode out together to fix upon the place: andboth being of one mind, and hating to put off for the morrow what couldbe done to-day, would have decided it then: but De la Tour, and theColonel's valet, who attended us, being unavoidably let into the secret,joined to beg we would have with us a surgeon from Brixen, whom La Tourhad fallen in with there, and who had told him he was to ride nextmorning to bleed a person in a fever, at a lone cottage, which, by thesurgeon's description, was not far from the place where we then were, ifit were not that very cottage within sight of us.
They overtook so to manage it, that the surgeon should know nothing ofthe matter till his assistance was called in. And La Tour, being, as Iassured the Colonel, a ready contriving fellow, [whom I ordered to obeyhim as myself, were the chance to be in his favour,] we both agreed todefer the decision till to-morrow, and to leave the whole about thesurgeon to the management of our two valets; enjoining them absolutesecrecy: and so rode back again by different ways.
We fixed upon a little lone valley for the spot--ten to-morrow morningthe time--and single rapier the word. Yet I repeatedly told him, that Ivalued myself so much upon my skill in that weapon, that I would wish himto choose any other.
He said it was a gentleman's weapon; and he who understood it not, wanteda qualification that he ought to suffer for not having: but that, as tohim, one weapon was as good as another, throughout all the instruments ofoffence.
So, Jack, you see I take no advantage of him: but my devil must deceiveme, if he take not his life or his death at my hands before elevento-morrow morning.
His valet and mine are to be present; but both strictly enjoined to beimpartial and inactive: and, in return for my civility of the likenature, he commanded his to be assisting me, if he fell.
We are to ride thither, and to dismount when at the place; and hisfootman and mine are to wait at an appointed distance, with a chaise tocarry off to the borders of the Venetian territories the survivor, if onedrop; or to assist either or both, as occasion may demand.
And thus, Belford, is the matter settled.
A shower of rain has left me nothing else to do; and therefore I writethis letter; though I might as well have deferred it till to-morrowtwelve o'clock, when I doubt not to be able to write again, to assure youmuch I am
Yours, &c.LOVELACE.