the next day, and shot him at the first exchange on the instant."

"Merciful God!" exclaimed Albert, thoroughly aroused and sobered; "your life has been, indeed, a quarrelsome one."

"Quarrelsome, Sir, did you say," interrupted the other hastily; "you are inexperienced, and I pass it over; no gentleman can be quarrelsome; its a mortal affront, let me tell you, Sir, even to be thought to imagine such a thing. No," continued the officer, "mine has not been a quarrelsome life, but it has been sometimes a painful one; and now you have put me upon it, I must tell you, that I was once obliged to touch another very dear friend of mine, but he would have it-poor Dennis Boragan!"

"Your own friend, Sir! you surely didn't kill him?” "Dennis and I had a difference about the quality of a potatoe," resumed the Captain," and something passed, I forget exactly what, but it was thought that our honours were called in question; I had a misgiving or two after the accident, but of course our seconds managed the thing accurately."

"And your friend fell, Sir?" inquired Albert with

eagerness.

"Why now-gently-I candidly tell you, I did not intend to kill him-I only meant to wing him. I have never been able to account for it to this day. I have always valued myself upon touching any part of the human body I pleased, and my friend was too gallant a man to die of fright."

"Then you really did kill him," repeated. Albert.

"Oh, yes-sure-when they went to him, he was dead enough, sure-God bless him! but the surgeons never extracted the ball-its all a mystery-poor Dennis!"

"Your paces, though, Captain Donogan"

"Captain O'Donogan, Sir, at your service."

"I was saying," returned Albert, still endeavouring to rally," that your paces were shorter than our's in this country, Captain O'Donogan.

"You are somewhat longer here than with us, as I have heard," said the Captain; "but, for my part, I always measure Irish paces, unless particularly requested."

"There would be no harm in accommodating us according to the custom of our own country to-day, would there, Captain?"

"There would be no harm, that is to say, no moral harm in it, Sir; but then, you know, both sides must consent, and if Mr. Mortimer's second should prefer the short step, why, there would be a little delicacy, you see, Sir, in proposing a distinction."

From whatever cause it might have been, the name of Mortimer failed to excite its usual sympathies in Albert's mind, and he reverted instantly to the question of the paces.

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"So, Captain," he added, with anxiety, marching up and down, "One-two-three-twelve

"One-two-three-twelve! Powers!" exclaimed the Irishman, "you might as well measure by the leg of Saint Patrick. Here, look, one-two-three."

"Then no living man can escape," cried Albert in a hurry.

"As I am a living Irishman, said Captain O'Donogan; as I am my own mother's dear son, I have got to do at my blessed time of life with a nature's own-born coward; and," looking at his watch, "by the pistol of my poor Titus, it's hard upon nine, and we shall be behind-hand half an hour. Oh! shame upon me for undertaking such a civility for a stranger!".

"I am going on, Sir," said Albert.

"Going on; when was I ever too late before in all my whole life?"

These fresh words of consolation were not lost upon Albert, whose courage, however sufficient at starting to have encountered a dangerous adversary, indeed, could not be heightened by the melancholy stories of Captain O'Donogan.

The principal and second were now fast advancing on the scene of action, when they perceived a group of several persons assembled. Amongst these was Carl Jones the blacksmith, whọ no sooner saw Albert and the Captain, than, warmed with the generous ale he had been drinking, he ran forward, and clapped the former familiarly on the shoulder. "Cheer up, Master Albert," cried he, "it will soon be over-they've been waiting here this half-hour."

"There now, botheration-a quarter after nine-" exclaimed the Irishman.

"Cheer up, my hearty," reiterated Jones, giving the Captain a slap on the back, which was returned by the latter with such interest as to leave him sprawling along the common upon which they had just entered,-"What, in the name of the Most High, have we got here? What, do you bring up a village rabble to back you, Sir? What am I to think?" roared O'Donogan, with immense violence.

A loud congratulation on the appearance of Albert amongst about a dozen persons who had assembled, increased the Captain's anger and confusion.

"What am I to think of all this Sir?" inquired he, with evident marks of impatience. "Are we going to settle this matter in the ungentlemanly manner they do the thing at Boulogne, with a whole retinue of vagabonds to overlook us. For heaven's sake, Sir, dismiss your cortége."

Albert remained silent.

"Colonel Ball-Sir-your most obedient servant." Captain O'Donogan was now addressing himself to Mr. Mortimer's second, who approached: "We have been detained by-by an unfortunate accident, a mistake, that is to say, of the hour."

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"That is unimportant now," returned the Colonel; your friend is on the ground, of course. "Yes-Colonel-he is here," replied the Captain, reluctant to acknowledge his associate.

"I presume, Captain O'Donogan, that the gentleman is yonder," observed the Colonel, looking towards a well-dressed man at some distance from them.

"No, no-but he is very near. As soon as we have arranged preliminaries, Mr. Mortimer shall be introduced to him soon enough," replied the Irishman, nettled at the unpromising appearance of the real combatant, who stood alone within sight.

The two officers were now actively engaged in measuring the ground, when Albert suddenly interfered, and renewed his request that the space might not be computed according to the Irish custom.

"Now, there, now," exclaimed the Captain in tor

ments; "the gentleman is very young in the world, very young indeed; I trust you'll look it over, Colonel.

The ferocious look of his second had been quite available to convince Albert that he had been guilty of a prodigious error, and he instinctively shrank back aghast, though sadly alive to the horrors of the scene.

"It is very unusual for the principal to interrupt," returned Colonel Ball, handing his snuff-box to O'Donogan with much politeness, "but you have been sufficiently explicit. I rather pity the youth.

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"Pity is a comical term, Colonel," said the other officer, rather quickly..

"It was not used in an offensive sense, Sir, I assure you," replied the Colonel with a bow which reconciled the difference immediately.

Every arrangement had now been completed, the distance definitively settled, the instruments of warfare inspected, and loaded with real leaden bullets, the ceremonies of introduction had been gone through, and both sides were awaiting that awful and certain signal which precedes the satisfaction of injured honour, when Captain O'Donogan perceived the head of his protegé calmly reposing on his breast. Stung by this fresh exhibition of cowardice, as the Irish gentleman considered it, he shook the young man with impatience, whispering to him at the same time the most spirit-stirring remarks he could devise. Mr. Mortimer and his second, on the other hand, appeared scarcely to notice this delay but while they stood prepared for action, Albert, as if inspired by a sudden impulse, started from his reverie, snatched the ready weapon from the hands of O'Donogan, and discharged it in an instant in the direction of Mortimer.

"Without the word of command, by all the Powers!" ejaculated the Captain, fervently.

"You shall not fire, Sir," exclaimed Colonel Ball to his principal, who was unhurt: "this is downright murder." And then advancing forward, he asked at the hands of the Captain an explanation of the strange proceeding.

"Faith, and I can't tell, I'm downright botherated about it myself, to tell you the real truth," was the an

"But, Captain O'Donogan," returned the Colonel, “ you very well know, that some explanation is due from you upon this occasion; I shall not allow my friend to renew the affair, and I must say, that it is not in the least better than absolute murder."

"Murder!" replied the other, "that can hardly be, when there's nobody murdered."

"No, Captain; but still you had better learn from the gentleman the reason of his behaviour; for if a sufficient answer is not returned, I must remove Mr. Mortimer from the field."

"Remove Mr. Mortimer from the field! Oh dear!" replied O'Donogan, observing at the same time that Albert had relapsed into a state of entire insensibility, and that he was supported by some of the spectators. "You and I, Colonel, could settle it ourselves, if it was agreeable."

"I am sure, Captain," said Colonel Ball, "that, although it does not seem to be quite regular, I shall have no objection, though your acquaintance there doesn't seem to be in a condition to assist you. I never shrink from action, Captain."

"No acquaintance or friend of Captain O'Donogan's," exclaimed the Irish officer, looking on the crestfallen 'squire with a contempt which can neither be uttered nor written.

And now the Colonel and Captain, bent on settling the dispute in their own way, had infallibly endeavoured to have shed each other's blood, but for two events which occurred almost contemporaneously. It will be recollected, that Mrs. Moonshine had sent her friend Buzzy to watch the door whence her son had gone forth a minute or two before the operation of listening had commenced. The confidant proceeded to execute her orders, and the lady herself remained behind, near enough to guard her confederate, and catch any loose. particulars which might happen to drop if the talk became louder than usual. Time, however, passed on, and silence supervened; that killing, disappointing silence which may be felt; and Miss Buzzy, who thought herself both morally and physically degraded by her stooping employment, proposed that the room should be entered. The arrangement being acceded to, and