"Ha!" said the marquis, "I know not what a galoot is, but I will fight you here and leave your body on the grass." Neither of them had observed the approach of a portly and pleasant gentleman behind them. He was now leaning upon the railing, watching them with a great deal of kindly curiosity. "I think, gentlemen, that the dean will object," he said at length, and they both turned around suddenly. "You must not interfere," said Rivaulx; "we do not know you." [Illustration: RUFUS Q. PLANT. Born in Virginia] "To be sure, to be sure," replied the gentleman, who was dressed very curiously, as Rivaulx noticed. "I hate interfering, especially with anything belonging to a dean. Deans, gentlemen, are very touchy about matters connected with their cathedrals. Now Dean Briggs, gentlemen, takes the very greatest care of that grass on which you both are now illegally trampling, and I understand that he has made a rule never to have duels upon it. He is very firm on that point. Do I mistake you if I say that it looks to an unprejudiced observer as if you were going to fight a duel?" Rivaulx bowed. "I do not know you, sare, and I do not want to. I want to keel this man, who is a scoundrrel." The stranger addressed Plant. "And are you equally anxious to break this very rigid rule of the dean’s?" he asked, suavely. "Certainly not," replied Plant; "I want to go to bed." "I am delighted to hear it. I am intensely gratified to hear it. If one duellist, having possession of both deadly weapons, desires to go to bed, I cannot see anything to hinder him, unless, indeed, he wants to lie down on Mr. Dean’s grass. You see, gentlemen, I am a bishop, and a bishop’s first desire is to be on good terms with the dean. If Mr. Dean heard that I encouraged any one to break his rules about duelling or going to bed in the precincts of this cathedral, I should _not_ be on good terms with him, I assure you." "I do not understand," said Rivaulx. "I want to fight, that is all I want to do!" "Stay!" said the bishop, mildly. "If the somewhat excited gentleman, who is, I gather, not an Englishman, will accompany me a few yards, we will go to the dean’s, with whom I have been dining, and will refer the matter to him." "Of course," said Plant, "that is the right thing to do. Marquis, his lordship the bishop suggests the only course open to gentlemen. I trust you will accept his offer, and, if you do, I undertake to fight you if the dean gives his permission." "Stay, sare, my lord the bishop," said Rivaulx, "one moment, sare, the bishop. Is this dean of whom you speak a gentleman?" "Certainly, certainly," replied the bishop, hastily. "He is of the highest breeding, and in his youth he fenced like a fencing-master." "Then he understands the code of honour, sare the bishop?" "Absolutely, for a dean," replied his lordship. "Then I agree, sir lord," cried Rivaulx.