-- Mr Bramble took
umbrage at my presuming to be wiser than he upon this occasion;
and told me, that as he had always thought for himself in every
occurrence in life, he would still use the same privilege, with
my good leave.
When we returned to our inn, he closeted Lismahago; and having
explained his grievance, desired that gentleman to go and demand
satisfaction of lord Oxmington in his name. -- The lieutenant
charged himself with this commission, and immediately set out a
horseback for his lordship's house, attended, at his own request,
by my man Archy Macalpine, who had been used to military service;
and truly, if Macalpine had been mounted upon an ass, this couple
might have passed for the knight of La Mancha and his 'squire
Panza. It was not till after some demur that Lismahago obtained a
private audience, at which he formally defied his lordship to
single combat, in the name of Mr Bramble, and desired him to
appoint the time and place. Lord Oxmington was so confounded at
this unexpected message, that he could not, for some time, make
any articulate reply; but stood staring at the lieutenant with
manifest marks of perturbation.
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