'You adopt the responsibility of this ?' He displayed the letter.
'I do.' 'It lies.' Tresten remarked to Count Walburg: 'These visits are provocations.' 'They are not so intended,' said the count, bowing pacifically.

His friend was not a man of the sword, and was not under the obligation to accept an insult.

They left the letter to do its work.
Big natures in their fits of explosiveness must be taken by flying shots, as dwarfs peep on a monster, or the Scythian attacked a phalanx.
Were we to hear all the roarings of the shirted Heracles, a world of comfortable little ones would doubt the unselfishness of his love of Dejaneira.

Yes, really; they would think it was not a chivalrous love: they would consider that he thought of himself too much.

They would doubt, too, of his being a gentleman! Partial glimpses of him, one may fear, will be discomposing to simple natures.