Mr. Chillingworth looked at Jack, and Jack Pringle looked at Mr.
Chillingworth, and then the former said,--

"Well, the admiral means fighting, and I am come to settle the
necessaries; pray let me know what are your terms, Mr. What-d'ye-call'em." "I am agreeable to anything that is at all reasonable--pistols, I
presume?" "Sir Francis Varney," said Mr. Chillingworth, "I cannot consent to carry
on this office, unless you can appoint a friend who will settle these
matters with us--myself, at least." "And I too," said Jack Pringle; "we don't want to bear down an enemy. Admiral Bell ain't the man to do that, and if he were, I'm not the man
to back him in doing what isn't fair or right; but he won't do it." "But, gentlemen, this must not be; Mr. Henry Bannerworth must not be
disappointed, and Admiral Bell must not be disappointed. Moreover, I
have accepted the two cartels, and I am ready and willing to fight;--one
at a time, I presume?" "Sir Francis, after what you have said, I must take upon myself, on the
part of Mr. Henry Bannerworth, to decline meeting you, if you cannot
name a friend with whom I can arrange this affair." "Ah!" said Jack Pringle, "that's right enough. I recollect very well
when Jack Mizeu fought Tom Foremast, they had their seconds. Admiral
Bell can't do anything in the dark. No, no, d----e! all must be above
board." "Gentlemen," said Sir Francis Varney, "you see the dilemma I am in. Your
principals have both challenged me. I am ready to fight any one, or both
of them, as the case may be. Distinctly understand that; because it is a
notion of theirs that I will not do so, or that I shrink from them; but
I am a stranger in this neighbourhood, and have no one whom I could call
upon to relinquish so much, as they run the risk of doing by attending
me to the field." "Then your acquaintances are no friends, d----e!" said Jack Pringle,
spitting through his teeth into the bars of a beautifully polished
grate. "I'd stick to anybody--the devil himself, leave alone a
vampyre--if so be as how I had been his friends and drunk grog from the
same can. They are a set of lubbers." "I have not been here long enough to form any such friendships, Mr.
Chillingworth; but can confidently rely upon your honour and that of
your principal, and will freely and fairly meet him." "But, Sir Francis, you forget the fact, in transacting, myself for
Mr. Bannerworth, and this person or Admiral Bell, we do match, and have
our own characters at stake; nay more, our lives and fortunes. These may
be small; but they are everything to us. Allow me to say, on my own
behalf, that I will not permit my principal to meet you unless you can
name a second, as is usual with gentlemen on such occasions." "I regret, while I declare to you my entire willingness to meet you,
that I cannot comply through utter inability to do so, with your
request. Let this go forth to the world as I have stated it, and let it
be an answer to any aspersions that may be uttered as to my
unwillingness to fight." There was a pause of some moments. Mr. Chillingworth was resolved that,
come of it what would, he would not permit Henry to fight, unless Sir
Francis Varney himself should appoint a friend, and then they could meet
upon equal terms. Jack Pringle whistled, and spit, and chewed and turned his quid--hitched
up his trousers, and looked wistfully from one to the other, as he
said,--

"So then it's likely to be no fight at all, Sir Francis what's-o'-name?" "It seems like it, Mr. Pringle," replied Varney, with a meaning smile;
"unless you can be more complaisant towards myself, and kind towards the
admiral." "Why, not exactly that," said Jack; "it's a pity to stop a good play in
the beginning, just because some little thing is wrong in the tackling." "Perhaps your skill and genius may enable us to find some medium course
that we may pursue with pleasure and profit. What say you, Mr. Pringle?" "All I know about genius, as you call it is the Flying Dutchman, or some
such odd out of the way fish. But, as I said, I am not one to spoil
sport, nor more is the admiral. Oh, no, we is all true men and good." "I believe it," said Varney, bowing politely. "You needn't keep your figure-head on the move; I can see you just as
well. Howsoever, as I was saying, I don't like to spoil sport, and
sooner than both parties should be disappointed, my principal shall
become your second, Sir Francis." "What, Admiral Bell?" exclaimed Varney, lifting his eyebrows with
surprise. "What, Charles Holland's uncle!" exclaimed Mr. Chillingworth, in accents
of amazement. "And why not?" said Jack, with great gravity. "I will pledge my
word--Jack Pringle's word--that Admiral Bell shall be second to Sir
Francis Varney, during his scrimmage with Mr. Henry Bannerworth. That
will let the matter go on; there can be no back-out then, eh?" continued
Jack Pringle, with a knowing nod at Chillingworth as he spoke. "That will, I hope, remove your scruples, Mr. Chillingworth," said
Varney, with a courteous smile. "But will Admiral Bell do this?" "His second says so, and has, I daresay, influence enough with him to
induce that person to act in conformity with his promise." "In course he will. Do you think he would be the man to hang back? Oh,
no; he would be the last to leave Jack Pringle in the lurch--no. Depend
upon it, Sir Francis, he'll be as sure to do what I say, as I have said
it." "After that assurance, I cannot doubt it," said Sir Francis Varney;
"this act of kindness will, indeed, lay me under a deep and lasting
obligation to Admiral Bell, which I fear I shall never be able to pay." "You need not trouble yourself about that," said Jack Pringle; "the
admiral will credit all, and you can pay off old scores when his turn
comes in the field." "I will not forget," said Varney; "he deserves every consideration; but
now, Mr. Chillingworth, I presume that we may come to some understanding
respecting this meeting, which you were so kind as to do me the honour
of seeking." "I cannot object to its taking place. I shall be most happy to meet your
second in the field, and will arrange with him." "I imagine that, under the circumstances, that it will be barely
necessary to go to that length of ceremony. Future interviews can be
arranged later; name the time and place, and after that we can settle
all the rest on the ground." "Yes," said Jack; "it will be time enough, surely, to see the admiral
when we are upon the ground. I'll warrant the old buffer is a true brick
as ever was: there's no flinching about him." "I am satisfied," said Varney. "And I also," said Chillingworth; "but, understand, Sir Francis, any
default for seconds makes the meeting a blank." "I will not doubt Mr. Pringle's honour so much as to believe it
possible." "I'm d----d," said Jack, "if you ain't a trump-card, and no mistake;
it's a great pity as you is a wamphigher." "The time, Mr. Chillingworth?" "To-morrow, at seven o'clock," replied that gentleman. "The place, sir?"