Surely
you have not come all this way, merely to make such an inquiry; but,
sir, you are welcome to the answer." Henry had something of a struggle to keep down the rising anger, at
these cool taunts of Varney; but he succeeded--and then he said,--

"I suspect Charles Holland, Sir Francis Varney, has met with unfair
treatment, and that he has been unfairly dealt with, for an unworthy
purpose." "Undoubtedly," said Varney, "if the gentleman you allude to, has been
unfairly dealt with, it was for a foul purpose; for no good or generous
object, my young sir, could be so obtained--you acknowledge so much, I
doubt not?" "I do, Sir Francis Varney; and hence the purpose of my visit here--for
this reason I apply to you--"

"A singular object, supported by a singular reason. I cannot see the
connection, young sir; pray proceed to enlighten me upon this matter,
and when you have done that, may I presume upon your consideration, to
inquire in what way I can be of any service to you?" "Sir Francis," said Henry, his anger raising his tones--"this will not
serve you--I have come to exact an account of how you have disposed of
my friend; and I will have it." "Gently, my good sir; you are aware I know nothing of your friend; his
motions are his own; and as to what I have done with him; my only answer
is, that he would permit me to do nothing with him, had I been so
inclined to have taken the liberty." "You are suspected, Sir Francis Varney, of having made an attempt upon
the life or liberty of Charles Holland; you, in fact, are suspected of
being his murderer--and, so help me Heaven! if I have not justice, I
will have vengeance!" "Young sir, your words are of grave import, and ought to be coolly
considered before they are uttered. With regard to justice and
vengeance, Mr. Bannerworth, you may have both; but I tell you, of
Charles Holland, or what has become of him, I know nothing. But
wherefore do you come to so unlikely a quarter to learn something of an
individual of whom I know nothing?" "Because Charles Holland was to have fought a duel with you: but before
that had time to take place, he has suddenly become missing. I suspect
that you are the author of his disappearance, because you fear an
encounter with a mortal man." "Mr. Bannerworth, permit me to say, in my own defence, that I do not
fear any man, however foolish he may be; and wisdom is not an attribute
I find, from experience in all men, of your friend. However, you must be
dreaming, sir--a kind of vivid insanity has taken possession of your
mind, which distorts--"

"Sir Francis Varney!" exclaimed Henry, now perfectly uncontrollable. "Sir," said Varney, as he filled up the pause, "proceed; I am all
attention. You do me honour." "If," resumed Henry, "such was your object in putting Mr. Holland aside,
by becoming personally or by proxy an assassin, you are mistaken in
supposing you have accomplished your object." "Go on, sir," said Sir Francis Varney, in a bland and sweet tone; "I am
all attention; pray proceed." "You have failed; for I now here, on this spot, defy you to mortal
combat. Coward, assassin as you are, I challenge you to fight." "You don't mean on the carpet here?" said Varney, deliberately. "No, sir; but beneath the canopy of heaven, in the light of the day. And
then, Sir Francis, we shall see who will shrink from the conflict." "It is remarkably good, Mr. Bannerworth, and, begging your pardon, for I
do not wish to give any offence, my honoured sir, it would rehearse
before an audience; in short, sir, it is highly dramatic." "You shrink from the combat, do you? Now, indeed, I know you." "Young man--young man," said Sir Francis, calmly, and shaking his head
very deliberately, and the shadows passed across his pale face, "you
know me not, if you think Sir Francis Varney shrinks from any man, much
less one like yourself." "You are a coward, and worse, if you refuse my challenge." "I do not refuse it; I accept it," said Varney, calmly, and in a
dignified manner; and then, with a sneer, he added,--"You are well
acquainted with the mode in which gentlemen generally manage these
matters, Mr. Bannerworth, and perhaps I am somewhat confined in my
knowledge in the ways of the world, because you are your own principal
and second. In all my experience, I never met with a similar case." "The circumstances under which it is given are as unexampled, and will
excuse the mode of the challenge," said Henry, with much warmth. "Singular coincidence--the challenge and mode of it is most singular! They are well matched in that respect. Singular, did I say? The more I
think of it, Mr. Bannerworth, the more I am inclined to think this
positively odd." "Early to-morrow, Sir Francis, you shall hear from me." "In that case, you will not arrange preliminaries now? Well, well; it is
very unusual for the principals themselves to do so; and yet, excuse my
freedom, I presumed, as you had so far deserted the beaten track, that I
had no idea how far you might be disposed to lead the same route." "I have said all I intended to say, Sir Francis Varney; we shall see
each other again." "I may not detain you, I presume, to taste aught in the way of
refreshment?" Henry made no reply, but turned towards the door, without even making an
attempt to return the grave and formal bow that Sir Francis Varney made
as he saw him about to quit the apartment; for Henry saw that his pale
features were lighted up with a sarcastic smile, most disagreeable to
look upon as well as irritating to Henry Bannerworth. He now quitted Sir Francis Varney's abode, being let out by a servant
who had been rung for for that purpose by his master. Henry walked homeward, satisfied that he had now done all that he could
under the circumstances. "I will send Chillingworth to him in the morning, and then I shall see
what all this will end in. He must meet me, and then Charles Holland, if
not discovered, shall be, at least, revenged." There was another person in Bannerworth Hall who had formed a similar
resolution. That person was a very different sort of person to Henry
Bannerworth, though quite as estimable in his way. This was no other than the old admiral. It was singular that two such
very different persons should deem the same steps necessary, and both
keep the secret from each other; but so it was, and, after some internal
swearing, he determined upon challenging Varney in person. "I'd send Jack Pringle, but the swab would settle the matter as shortly
as if a youngster was making an entry in a log, and heard the
boatswain's whistle summoning the hands to a mess, and feared he would
lose his grog. "D--n my quarters! but Sir Francis Varney, as he styles himself, sha'n't
make any way against old Admiral Bell. He's as tough as a hawser, and
just the sort of blade for a vampyre to come athwart. I'll pitch him
end-long, and make a plank of him afore long. Cus my windpipe!