The excitement occasioned by the terrific combat in the ball-room was intense. On the following morning groups of anxious persons were discussing the probability of a duel between Bragg and Botts. There had been an interchange not only of harsh language but of blows between these gentlemen, and it was the general opinion that a hostile meeting was inevitable. Toney and Tom were sitting in the room of the former, puffing their cigars, and conversing about the events of the preceding evening, when there was a knock at the door, followed by the entry of a gentleman whose countenance indicated that he was troubled by very great mental anxiety.
"Good-morning, Mr. Pate. Let me introduce you to my friend Mr. Seddon."
The two gentlemen shook hands, and Seddon made some meteorological observation, which was unheeded by Pate, who nervously turned to Toney, and said,--
"Mr. Belton, I have called to see you about a matter of great importance,--I might say an affair of life or death."
"Indeed, Mr. Pate! To what have you reference?"
"I refer, sir, to the unfortunate affair between our friend Mr. Botts and--and----"
"Just so, sir. I am afraid that the--the--the difficulty will end in--in bloodshed, sir. I apprehend that Mr. Botts is about to send a challenge to--to--to----"
"The monkey? Why, Mr. Pate, the animal will not accept it if he does."
"I don't mean to the monkey, sir; I mean to Captain Bragg."
"Oh, that alters the case. The captain is a fighting man."
"Yes, sir; and Mr. Botts is determined on a bloody issue. He has been with Wiggins the whole morning, and I know that he has penned a challenge."
"Well, my dear sir, what can I do to prevent the issue which you apprehend?"
"Bragg will apply to you to act as his second. Could you not persuade him to apologize?"
"Apologize! Apologize for knocking Botts down? Impossible, sir!"
"How impossible? Cannot a man apologize for what he has done?"
"Mr. Pate, you are well versed in legal lore, but you seem to be profoundly ignorant of a very stringent article in the code of honor."
"One of the thirty-nine articles of the code of dueling, compiled by 'A Southron,' prohibits a gentleman, who has received a blow, from accepting an apology until the party who has dealt the blow first allows himself to be slapped on the face in the most public place in the town. Now, do you suppose that Captain Bragg will consent to stand in the street, in front of the hotel, before a crowd of spectators, male and female, and allow Botts to knock him down, and then get up and apologize for having knocked Botts down? Impossible, sir! impossible! There can be no apology."