The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 188: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE SHAM DUEL 171 vancing in the politest manner possible up to the two doctors, he said, with corresponding urbanity of tone, “ Gentlemen, which of you would like to exchange a shot or two on the present very suitable occasion? ”’ ‘Permit me, my good sir,’”’ said Doctor Copperas, looking very hard at the captain, and, without any further ceremony, he began feeling the valiant officer’s pulse, a proceeding which so astonished our friend Tash, that he stood trans- fixed for upwards of a minute, gazing in speechless aston- ishment upon the learned member of the faculty. “ Well?’ said Doctor Thurston, inquiringly, as he watched the proceedings of his colleague. “Quick and feverish pulse,’ said Doctor Copperas. Then, looking with ominous intentness into the captain’s face, he said, ‘‘ Go home, sir, get your hair cut close, put a blister behind your ears, avoid all alcoholic drink, keep your- self very quiet indeed, and don’t eat too much meat, nor let that be underdone, for you are assuredly of a sanguineous temperament, and, I may indeed say, of sanguinary dispo- sition.”’ Captain Tash was so astounded at this long and not altogether intelligible harangue that he stood rooted to the spot for nearly a minute; then turning suddenly upon his heel, he muttered to himself, ‘‘ These fellows understand nothing but boluses and black draughts, and know no more of the laws of honour than I do of the Chinese language.”’ But here we may close our description of this mock duel, pausing only to observe that the two parties returned to town in their respective vehicles, neither the seconds nor the physicians having entertained the slightest suspicion that a conjurer’s trick had suggested the idea for the bullets which were used upon the occasion. And now, as Captain Tash had predicted, Horace Sackville indeed became the lion of the day. His name was in every- body’s mouth; that is to say, in all the fashionable quarters of the metropolis. Envied and courted as he had been before, his popularity among a certain class increased a thousandiold. ‘Oh, that naughty Sackville! That dear, delightful, wicked Horace! That dangerous duck of a man! ”’ and other expressions of a similar character were heard in all the drawing-rooms at the West End. That Venetia should take no possible notice of the matter, but appear as COMMICLAOO <S) (C(O) im