"You want me to fight," he said.
"My faith!" gasped the General, loosening in all his joints. "I
believe--you may cut me in pieces if I do not believe you were going to
reason it out in the newspaper! Fight? If I want you to fight? Upon my
soul, I believe you do not want to fight!"
"No," said Mossy.
"My God!" whispered the General. His heart seemed to break.
"Yes," said the steadily gazing Doctor, his lips trembling as he opened
them. "Yes, your God. I am afraid"--
"Afraid!" gasped the General.
"Yes," rang out the Doctor, "afraid; afraid! God forbid that I should
not be afraid. But I will tell you what I do not fear--I do not fear to
call your affairs of honor--murder!"
"My son!" cried the father.
"I retract," cried the son; "consider it unsaid. I will never reproach
my father."
"It is well," said the father. "I was wrong. It is my quarrel. I go to
settle it myself."
Dr. Mossy moved quickly between his father and the door. General
Villivicencio stood before him utterly bowed down.
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