When they reached the residence of Sir Francis Varney, they were
received courteously enough, and the admiral desired Jack to wait for
him in the handsome hall of the house, while he was shewn up stairs to
the private room of the vampyre. "Confound the fellow!" muttered the old admiral, "he is well lodged at
all events. I should say he was not one of those sort of vampyres who
have nowhere to go to but their own coffins when the evening comes." The room into which the admiral was shewn had green blinds to it, and
they were all drawn down. It is true that the sun was shining brightly
outside, although transiently, but still a strange green tinge was
thrown over everything in the room, and more particularly did it appear
to fall upon the face of Varney, converting his usually sallow
countenance into a still more hideous and strange colour. He was sitting
upon a couch, and, when the admiral came in, he rose, and said, in a
deep-toned voice, extremely different to that he usually spoke in,--

"My humble home is much honoured, sir, by your presence in it." "Good morning," said the admiral. "I have come to speak to you, sir,
rather seriously." "However abrupt this announcement may sound to me," said Varney, "I am
quite sure I shall always hear, with the most profound respect, whatever
Admiral Bell may have to say." "There is no respect required," said the admiral, "but only a little
attention." Sir Francis bowed in a stately manner, saying,--

"I shall be quite unhappy if you will not be seated, Admiral Bell." "Oh, never mind that, Sir Francis Varney, if you be Sir Francis Varney;
for you may be the devil himself, for all I know. My nephew, Charles
Holland, considers that, one way and another, he has a very tolerable
quarrel with you." "I much grieve to hear it." "Do you?" "Believe me, I do. I am most scrupulous in what I say; and an assertion
that I am grieved, you may thoroughly and entirely depend upon." "Well, well, never mind that; Charles Holland is a young man just
entering into life. He loves a girl who is, I think, every way worthy of
him." "Oh, what a felicitous prospect!" "Just hear me out, if you please." "With pleasure, sir--with pleasure." "Well, then, when a young, hot-headed fellow thinks he has a good ground
of quarrel with anybody, you will not be surprised at his wanting to
fight it out." "Not at all." "Well, then, to come to the point, my nephew, Charles Holland, has a
fancy for fighting with you." "Ah!" "You take it d----d easy." "My dear sir, why should I be uneasy? He is not my nephew, you know. I
shall have no particular cause, beyond those feelings of common
compassion which I hope inhabit my breast as well as every one else's." "What do you mean?" "Why, he is a young man just, as you say, entering into life, and I
cannot help thinking it would be a pity to cut him off like a flower in
the bud, so very soon." "Oh, you make quite sure, then, of settling him, do you?" "My dear sir, only consider; he might be very troublesome, indeed; you
know young men are hot-headed and troublesome. Even if I were only to
maim him, he might be a continual and never-ceasing annoyance to me. I
think I should be absolutely, in a manner of speaking, compelled to cut
him off." "The devil you do!" "As you say, sir." "D--n your assurance, Mr. Vampyre, or whatever odd fish you may be." "Admiral Bell, I never called upon you and received a courteous
reception, and then insulted you." "Then why do you talk of cutting off a better man than yourself? D--n
it, what would you say to him cutting you off?" "Oh, as for me, my good sir, that's quite another thing. Cutting me off
is very doubtful." Sir Francis Varney gave a strange smile as he spoke, and shook his head,
as if some most extraordinary and extravagant proposition had been
mooted, which it was scarcely worth the while of anybody possessed of
common sense to set about expecting. Admiral Bell felt strongly inclined to get into a rage, but he repressed
the idea as much as he could, although, but for the curious faint green
light that came through the blinds, his heightened colour would have
sufficiently proclaimed what state of mind he was in. "Mr. Varney," he said, "all this is quite beside the question; but, at
all events, if it have any weight at all, it ought to have a
considerable influence in deciding you to accept of what terms I
propose." "What are they, sir?" "Why, that you permit me to espouse my nephew Charles's quarrel, and
meet you instead of him." "You meet me?" "Yes; I've met a better man more than once before. It can make no
difference to you." "I don't know that, Admiral Bell. One generally likes, in a duel, to
face him with whom one has had the misunderstanding, be it on what
grounds it may." "There's some reason, I know, in what you say; but, surely, if I am
willing, you need not object." "And is your nephew willing thus to shift the danger and the job of
resenting his own quarrels on to your shoulders?" "No; he knows nothing about it. He has written you a challenge, of which
I am the bearer, but I voluntarily, and of my own accord, wish to meet
you instead." "This is a strange mode of proceeding." "If you will not accede to it, and fight him first, and any harm comes
to him, you shall fight me afterwards." "Indeed." "Yes, indeed you shall, however surprised you may look." "As this appears to be quite a family affair, then," said Sir Francis
Varney, "it certainly does appear immaterial which of you I fight with
first." "Quite so; now you take a sensible view of the question. Will you meet
me?" "I have no particular objection. Have you settled all your affairs, and
made your will?" "What's that to you?" "Oh, I only asked, because there is generally so much food for
litigation if a man dies intestate, and is worth any money." "You make devilish sure," said the admiral, "of being the victor. Have
you made your will?" "Oh, my will," smiled Sir Francis; "that, my good sir, is quite an
indifferent affair." "Well, make it or not, as you like. I am old, I know, but I can pull a
trigger as well as any one." "Do what?" "Pull a trigger." "Why, you don't suppose I resort to any such barbarous modes of
fighting?" "Barbarous! Why, how do you fight then?" "As a gentleman, with my sword." "Swords! Oh, nonsense! nobody fights with swords now-a-days. That's all
exploded." "I cling to the customs and the fashions of my youth," said Varney. "I
have been, years ago, accustomed always to wear a sword, and to be
without one now vexes me." "Pray, how many years ago?" "I am older than I look, but that is not the question. I am willing to
meet you with swords if you like. You are no doubt aware that, as the
challenged party, I am entitled to the choice of weapons." "I am." "Then you cannot object to my availing myself of the one in the use of
which I am perfectly unequalled." "Indeed." "Yes, I am, I think, the first swordsman in Europe; I have had immense
practice."