"It is a matter of whether or not her heart shall be broken."
"Come, come. Let's talk man talk. Besides, girls' hearts don't break in this country. You're old-fashioned."
"I tell you the question of her happiness is worth more than a dozen lives like yours and mine."
There had been a gathering impatience in Lord Nick. Now he, also, leaped to his feet; a giant.
"Tell me in one word: You stick on this point?"
"Then you deny me, Garry. You set me aside for a silly purpose of your own--a matter that really doesn't mean much to you. It shows me where I stand in your eyes--and nothing between the devil and the moon shall make me sidestep!"
They remained silent, staring at each other. Lord Nick stood with a flush of anger growing; Donnegan became whiter than ever, and he stiffened himself to his full height, which, in all who knew him well, was the danger signal.
They had been swept back to the point at which that strangest of scenes began, but this time there was an added element--horror.
"Garry, if one of us should kill the other, he'd be cursed forever!"
"A thousand times more! What are we? Dust in the wind; dust in the wind. But a woman like that is divine, Henry!"
Lord Nick swayed a little, setting himself in balance like an animal preparing for the leap.
"If it comes to the pinch, it is you who will die," he said.
"You've no chance against me, Garry. And I swear to you that I won't weaken. You prove that you don't care for me. You put another above me. It's my pride, my life, that you'd sacrifice to the whim of a girl!" His passion choked him.
"Nor I! You fool, take what little advantage you can, because it won't help you in the end."
"You shall see. I have a second sight, Henry, and it shows me you dead on the floor there, looking bigger than ever, and I see the gun smoking in my hand and my heart as dead as ashes! Oh, Henry, if there were only some other way!"
"Aye," murmured Lord Nick, "if we could find a judge. My hand turns to lead when I think of fighting you, Garry."
Perspiration stood on the face of Donnegan.
"Name a judge; I'll abide by the decision."
"No, no. What man could understand me? A woman, Henry!"
"The girl who loves you? You want me to plead before her?"
"Put her on her honor and she'll be as straight as a string with both of us."