’Iamthegentlemanyouname，’saidO’Connor；’andasyouappearimpatient，wehadbetterproceedtoyourcommissionwithoutdelay。’
　　’Then，Mr。O’Connor，youwillpleasetoreadthatnote，’saidthecaptain，placingasealedpaperinhishand。
　　O’Connorreaditthrough，andthenobserved：
　　’Thisisveryextraordinaryindeed。
　　Thisnoteappearstomeperfectlyunaccountable。’
　　’Youareveryyoung，Mr。O’Connor，’
　　saidthecaptain，withvulgarfamiliarity；
　　’but，withoutmuchexperienceinthesematters，Ithinkyoumighthaveanticipatedsomethinglikethis。Youknowtheoldsaying，“Secondthoughtsarebest；“andsotheyareliketoprove，byG——!’
　　’Youwillhavenoobjection，CaptainM’Creagh，onthepartofyourfriend，tomyreadingthisnotetothesegentlemen；
　　theyarebothconfidentialfriendsofmine，andoneofthemhasalreadyactedformeinthisbusiness。’
　　’Icanhavenoobjection，’repliedthecaptain，’toyourdoingwhatyoupleasewithyourown。IhavenothingmoretodowiththatnoteonceIputitsafeintoyourhand；andwhenthatisoncedone，itisallonetome，ifyoureadittohalftheworld——that’sYOURconcern，andnoaffairofmine。’
　　O’Connorthenreadthefollowing：
　　’Mr。Fitzgeraldbegsleavetostate，thatuponre-perusingMr。O’Connor’scommunicationofthismorningcarefully，withanexperiencedfriend，heisforcedtoconsiderhimselfaschallenged。Hisfriend，CaptainM’Creagh，hasbeenempoweredbyhimtomakeallthenecessaryarrangements。
　　’T——Inn，Thursday。’
　　IcanhardlydescribetheastonishmentwithwhichIheardthisnote。Iturnedtothecaptain，andsaid：
　　’Surely，sir，thereissomemistakeinallthis？’
　　’Nottheslightest，I’llassureyou，sir。’
　　saidhe，coolly；’thecaseisaveryclearone，andIthinkmyfriendhasprettywellmadeuphisminduponit。MayI
　　requestyouranswer？’hecontinued，turningtoO’Connor；’timeisprecious，youknow。’
　　O’Connorexpressedhiswillingnesstocomplywiththesuggestion，andinafewminuteshadfoldedanddirectedthefollowingrejoinder：
　　’Mr。O’ConnorhavingreceivedasatisfactoryexplanationfromMr。
　　Fitzgerald，ofthelanguageusedbythatgentleman，feelsthattherenolongerexistsanygroundsformisunderstanding，andwishesfurthertostate，thatthenoteofwhichMr。Fitzgeraldspeakswasnotintendedasachallenge。’
　　Withthisnotethecaptaindeparted；andaswedidnotdoubtthatthemessagewhichhehaddeliveredhadbeensuggestedbysomeunintentionalmisconstructionofO’Connor’sfirstbillet，wefeltassuredthattheconclusionofhislastnotewouldsetthematteratrest。Inthisbelief，however，weweremistaken；beforewehadleftthetable，andinanincrediblyshorttime，thecaptainreturned。Heenteredtheroomwithacountenanceevidentlytaskedtoavoidexpressingthesatisfactionwhichaconsciousnessofthenatureofhismissionhadconferred；butinspiteofallhiseffortstolookgravelyunconcerned，therewasatwinkleinthesmallgreyeye，andanalmostimperceptiblemotioninthecornerofthemouth，whichsufficientlybetrayedhisinternalglee，asheplacedanoteinthehandofO’Connor。Astheyoungmancasthiseyeoverit，hecoloureddeeply，andturningtoM’Donough，hesaid：
　　’Youwillhavethegoodnesstomakeallthenecessaryarrangementsforameeting。
　　SomethinghasoccurredtorenderonebetweenmeandMr。Fitzgeraldinevitable。Understandmeliterally，whenIsaythatitisnowtotallyimpossiblethatthisaffairshouldbeamicablyarranged。
　　Youwillhavethegoodness，M’Donough，toletmeknowassoonasalltheparticularsarearranged。Purcell，’hecontinued，’willyouhavethekindnesstoaccompanyme？’andhavingbowedtoM’Creagh，welefttheroom。
　　AsIclosedthedoorafterme，Iheardthecaptainlaugh，andthoughtIcoulddistinguishthewords——’By——IknewFitzgeraldwouldbringhimtohiswayofthinkingbeforehestopped。’
　　IfollowedO’Connorintohisstudy，andonentering，thedoorbeingclosed，heshowedmethecommunicationwhichhaddeterminedhimuponhostilities。Itslanguagewasgrosslyimpertinent，anditconcludedbyactuallythreateningto’POST’
　　him，incasehefurtherattempted’tobeOFF。’IcannotdescribetheagonyofindignationinwhichO’Connorwrithedunderthisinsult。Hesaidrepeatedlythat’hewasadegradedanddishohouredman，’
　　that’hewasdraggedintothefield，’that’therewasignominyintheverythoughtthatsuchalettershouldhavebeendirectedtohim。’ItwasinvainthatIreasonedagainstthisimpression；theconvictionthathehadbeendisgracedhadtakenpossessionofhismind。HesaidagainandagainthatnothingbuthisDEATHcouldremovethestainwhichhisindecisionhadcastuponthenameofhisfamily。I
　　hurriedtothehall，onhearingM’Donoughandthecaptainpassing，andreachedthedoorjustintimetohearthelattersay，ashemountedhishorse：
　　’Alltherestcanbearrangedonthespot；andsofarewell，Mr。M’Donough——
　　we’llmeetatPhilippi，youknow；’andwiththisclassicalallusion，whichwasaccompaniedwithagrinandabow，andprobablyservedmanysuchoccasions，thecaptaintookhisdeparture。
　　M’Donoughbrieflystatedthefewparticularswhichhadbeenarranged。Thepartiesweretomeetatthestand-house，intherace-ground，whichlayataboutanequaldistancebetweenCastleConnorandthetownofT。Thehourappointedwashalf-pastfiveonthenextmorning，atwhichtimethetwilightwouldbesufficientlyadvancedtoaffordadistinctview；
　　andtheweaponstobeemployedwerePISTOLS——M’Creaghhavingclaimed，onthepartofhisfriend，alltheadvantagesoftheCHALLENGEDparty，andhaving，consequently，insisteduponthechoiceof’TOOLS，’asheexpressedhimself；anditwasfurtherstipulatedthattheutmostsecrecyshouldbeobserved，asFitzgeraldwouldincurgreatriskfromtheviolenceofthepeasantry，incasetheaffairtookwind。
　　Theseconditionswere，ofcourse，agreeduponbyO’Connor，andM’Donoughleftthecastle，havingappointedfouro’clockuponthenextmorningasthehourofhisreturn，bywhichtimeitwouldbehisbusinesstoprovideeverythingnecessaryforthemeeting。Onhisdeparture，O’Connorrequestedmetoremainwithhimuponthatevening，sayingthat’hecouldnotbeartobealonewithhismother。’Itwastomeamostpainfulrequest，butatthesametimeonewhichI
　　couldnotthinkofrefusing。Ifelt，however，thatthedifficultyatleastofthetaskwhichIhadtoperformwouldbeinsomemeasuremitigatedbythearrivaloftworelationsofO’Connoruponthatevening。
　　’Itisveryfortunate，’saidO’Connor，whosethoughtshadbeenrunninguponthesamesubject，’thattheO’Gradyswillbewithusto-night；theirgaietyandgood-humourwillrelieveusfromaheavytask。Itrustthatnothingmayoccurtopreventtheircoming。’Ferventlyconcurringinthesamewish，IaccompaniedO’Connorintotheparlour，theretoawaitthearrivalofhismother。
　　GodgrantthatImayneverspendsuchanotherevening!TheO’GradysDIDcome，buttheirhighandnoisyspirits，sofarfromrelievingme，didbutgiveadditionalgloomtothedespondency，Imightsaythedespair，whichfilledmyheartwithmisery——
　　theterribleforebodingswhichIcouldnotforaninstantsilence，turnedtheirlaughterintodiscord，andseemedtomockthesmilesandjestsoftheunconsciousparty。WhenIturnedmyeyesuponthemother，I
　　thoughtIneverhadseenherlooksoproudlyandsolovinglyuponhersonbefore——itcutmetotheheart——oh，howcruellyIwasdeceivingher!Iwasahundredtimesontheverypointofstart-
　　ingup，and，atallhazards，declaringtoherhowmatterswere；butotherfeelingssubduedmybetteremotions。Oh，whatmonstersarewemadeofbythefashionsoftheworld!howareourkindlierandnoblerfeelingswarpedordestroyedbytheirbalefulinfluences!IfeltthatitwouldnotbeHONOURABLE，thatitwouldnotbeETIQUETTE，tobetrayO’Connor’ssecret。IsacrificedahigherandanoblerdutythanIhavesincebeencalledupontoperform，tothedastardlyfearofbearingtheunmeritedcensureofaworldfromwhichIwasabouttoretire。OFashion!thougaudyidol，whosefeetareredwiththebloodofhumansacrifice，wouldIhadalwaysfelttowardstheeasInowdo!
　　O’Connorwasnotdejected；onthecontrary，hejoinedwithloudandlivelyalacrityinthehilarityofthelittleparty；
　　butIcouldseeintheflushofhischeek，andintheunusualbrightnessofhiseye，alltheexcitementoffever——hewasmakinganeffortalmostbeyondhisstrength，buthesucceeded——andwhenhismotherrosetoleavetheroom，itwaswiththeimpressionthathersonwasthegayestandmostlight-heartedofthecompany。Twiceorthriceshehadrisenwiththeintentionofretiring，butO’Connor，withaneagernesswhichIalonecouldunderstand，hadpersuadedhertoremainuntiltheusualhourofherdeparturehadlongpassed；andwhenatlengthshearose，declaringthatshecouldnotpossiblystaylonger，Ialonecouldcomprehendthedesolatechangewhichpassedoverhismanner；andwhenIsawthempart，itwaswiththesickeningconvictionthatthosetwobeings，sodeartooneanother，soloved，socherished，shouldmeetnomore。
　　O’Connorbrieflyinformedhiscousinsofthepositioninwhichhewasplaced，requestingthematthesametimetoaccompanyhimtothefield，andthishavingbeensettled，weseparated，eachtohisownapartment。IhadwishedtositupwithO’Connor，whohadmatterstoarrangesufficienttoemployhimuntilthehourappointedforM’Donough’svisit；buthewouldnothearofit，andIwasforced，thoughsorelyagainstmywill，toleavehimwithoutacompanion。Iwenttomyroom，and，inastateofexcitementwhichIcannotdescribe，Ipacedforhoursupanddownitsnarrowprecincts。Icouldnot——
　　whocould？——analysethestrange，contradictory，torturingfeelingswhich，whileI
　　recoiledinshrinkinghorrorfromthescenewhichthemorningwastobring，yetforcedmetowishtheinterveningtimeannihilated；
　　eachhourthattheclocktoldseemedtovibrateandtinklethrougheverynerve；
　　myagitationwasdreadful；fancyconjureduptheformsofthosewhofilledmythoughtswithmorethanthevividnessofreality；thingsseemedtoglidethroughtheduskyshadowsoftheroom。IsawthedreadedformofFitzgerald——Iheardthehatedlaughofthecaptain——andagainthefeaturesofO’Connorwouldappearbeforeme，withghastlydistinctness，paleandwrithedindeath，thegoutsofgoreclottedinthemouth，andtheeye-ballsglaredandstaring。Scaredwiththevisionswhichseemedtothrongwithunceasingrapidityandvividness，Ithrewopenthewindowandlookedoutuponthequietscenearound。Iturnedmyeyesinthedirectionofthetown；aheavycloudwasloweringdarklyaboutit，andI，inimpiousfrenzy，prayedtoGodthatitmightburstinavengingfiresuponthemurderouswretchwholaybeneath。Atlength，sickandgiddywithexcessofexcitement，Ithrewmyselfuponthebedwithoutremovingmyclothes，andendeavouredtocomposemyselfsofarastoremainquietuntilthehourforourassemblingshouldarrive。
　　Afewminutesbeforefouro’clockIstolenoiselesslydownstairs，andmademywaytothesmallstudyalreadymentioned。A
　　candlewasburningwithin；and，whenI
　　openedthedoor，O’Connorwasreadingabook，which，onseeingme，hehastilyclosed，colouringslightlyashedidso。
　　Weexchangedacordialbutmournfulgreeting；andafteraslightpausehesaid，layinghishanduponthevolumewhichhehadshutamomentbefore：
　　’Purcell，Ifeelperfectlycalm，thoughI
　　cannotsaythatIhavemuchhopeastotheissueofthismorning’srencounter。I
　　shallavoidhalfthedanger。IfImustfall，IamdeterminedIshallnotgodowntothegravewithhisblooduponmyhands。IhaveresolvednottofireatFitzgerald——thatis，tofireinsuchadirectionastoassuremyselfagainsthittinghim。
　　DonotsayawordofthistotheO’Gradys。
　　Yourdoingsowouldonlyproducefruitlessaltercation；theycouldnotunderstandmymotives。IfeelconvincedthatIshallnotleavethefieldalive。IfImustdieto-
　　day，Ishallavoidanawfulaggravationofwretchedness。Purcell，’hecontinued，afteralittlespace，’IwassoweakastofeelalmostashamedofthemannerinwhichI
　　wasoccupiedasyouenteredtheroom。
　　Yes，_I——I_whowillbe，beforethisevening，acoldandlifelessclod，wasashamedtohavespentmylastmomentofreflectioninprayer。Godpardonme!Godpardonme!’herepeated。
　　Itookhishandandpressedit，butI