Lord Rufton would
not allow it. I insisted. The others cheered me on and slapped
me on the back. "No, dash it, Baldock, he's our guest," said
Rufton. "It's his own doing," the other answered. "Look here,
Rufton, they can't hurt each other if they wear the mawleys,"
cried Lord Sadler. And so it was agreed.
What the mawleys were I did not know, but presently they brought
out four great puddings of leather, not unlike a fencing glove,
but larger. With these our hands were covered after we had
stripped ourselves of our coats and our waistcoats. Then the
table, with the glasses and decanters, was pushed into the corner
of the room, and behold us; face to face! Lord Sadler sat in the
arm-chair with a watch in his open hand. "Time!" said he.
I will confess to you, my friends, that I felt at that moment a
tremor such as none of my many duels have ever given me. With
sword or pistol I am at home, but here I only understood that I
must struggle with this fat Englishman and do what I could, in
spite of these great puddings upon my hands, to overcome him.
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