’Doyouobject，Mr。M’Donough？anduponwhatgrounds，ifyouplease？’saidhe。
　　’Certainlyhedoesnot，’repliedO’Connor；and，turningtoM’Donough，headded，’praylettherebenounnecessarydelay。’
　　’Thereisnoobjection，then，’saidFitzgerald。
　　’_I_object，’saidtheyoungeroftheO’Gradys，’ifnobodyelsewill。’
　　’Andwhothedevilareyou，thatDARES
　　toobject？’shoutedFitzgerald；’andwhatd——dpresumptionpromptsyoutoDAREtowagyourtonguehere？’
　　’IamMr。O’Grady，ofCastleBlake，’
　　repliedtheyoungman，nowmuchenraged；’andby——，youshallanswerforyourlanguagetome。’
　　’ShallI，by——？ShallI？’criedhe，withalaughofbrutalscorn；’themorethemerrier，d——nthedoubtofit——sonowholdyourtongue，forIpromiseyouyoushallhavebusinessenoughofyourowntothinkabout，andthatbeforelong。’
　　Therewasanappallingferocityinhistoneandmannerwhichnowordscouldconvey。
　　Heseemedtransformed；hewasactuallylikeamanpossessed。Wasitpossible，I
　　thought，thatIbeheldthecourteousgentleman，thegay，good-humouredretailerofamusinganecdotewithwhom，scarcetwodaysago，Ihadlaughedandchatted，intheblasphemousandmurderousruffianwhoglaredandstormedbeforeme!
　　O’Connorinterposed，andrequestedthattimeshouldnotbeunnecessarilylost。
　　’Youhavenotgotasecondcoaton？’
　　inquiredtheCaptain。’Ibegpardon，butmydutytomyfriendrequiresthatI
　　shouldascertainthepoint。’
　　O’Connorrepliedinthenegative。TheCaptainexpressedhimselfassatisfied，adding，inwhathemeanttobeacomplimentarystrain，’thatheknewMr。
　　O’Connorwouldscorntoemploypaddingoranyunfairmodeofprotection。’
　　Therewasnowabreathlesssilence。
　　O’Connorstoodperfectlymotionless；and，exceptingthedeath-likepalenessofhisfeatures，heexhibitednosignofagitation。
　　Hiseyewassteady——hislipdidnottremble——hisattitudewascalm。TheCaptain，havingre-examinedtheprimingofthepistols，placedoneoftheminthehandofFitzgerald——M’Donoughinquiredwhetherthepartieswereprepared，andhavingbeenansweredintheaffirmative，heproceededtogivetheword，’Ready。’
　　Fitzgeraldraisedhishand，butalmostinstantlylowereditagain。Thecrowdhadpressedtoomuchforwardasitappeared，andhiseyehadbeenunsteadiedbytheflappingoftheskirtofafriezeriding-coatwornbyoneofthespectators。
　　’Inthenameofmyprincipal，’saidtheCaptain，’Imustanddoinsistuponthesegentlemenmovingbackalittle。Weaskbutlittle；fairplay，andnofavour。’
　　Thecrowdmovedasrequested。
　　M’Donoughrepeatedhisformerquestion，andwasansweredasbefore。Therewasabreathlesssilence。FitzgeraldfixedhiseyeuponO’Connor。Theappointedsignal，’Ready，fire!’wasgiven。Therewasapausewhileonemightslowlyreckonthree——Fitzgeraldfired——andO’Connorfellhelplesslyupontheground。
　　’Thereisnotimetobelost，’saidM’Creagrh；’for，by——，youhavedoneforhim。’
　　Sosaying，hethrewhimselfuponhishorse，andwasinstantlyfollowedatahardgallopbyFitzgerald。
　　’Cold-bloodedmurder，ifevermurderwascommitted，’saidO’Grady。’Heshallhangforit；d——nme，butheshall。’
　　Ahopelessattemptwasmadetoovertakethefugitives；buttheywerebettermountedthananyoftheirpursuers，andescapedwithease。Cursesandactualyellsofexecrationfollowedtheircourse；andas，incrossingthebrowofaneighbouringhill，theyturnedroundinthesaddletoobserveiftheywerepursued，everygesturewhichcouldexpressfuryanddefiancewasexhaustedbytheenragedanddefeatedmultitude。
　　’Cleartheway，boys，’saidyoungO’Grady，whowithmewaskneelingbesideO’Connor，whilewesupportedhiminourarms；’donotpresssoclose，andbed——d；can’tyouletthefreshairtohim；don’tyouseehe’sdying？’
　　Onopeninghiswaistcoatweeasilydetectedthewound：itwasalittlebelowthechest——asmallbluemark，fromwhichoozedasingleheavydropofblood。
　　’Heisbleedingbutlittle——thatisacomfortatallevents，’saidoneofthegentlemenwhosurroundedthewoundedman。
　　Anothersuggestedtheexpediencyofhisbeingremovedhomewardwithaslittledelayaspossible，andrecommended，forthispurpose，thatadoorshouldberemovedfromitshinges，andthepatient，laiduponthis，shouldbeconveyedfromthefield。UponthisrudebiermypoorfriendwascarriedfromthatfatalgroundtowardsCastleConnor。Iwalkedclosebyhisside，andobservedeverymotionofhis。Heseldomopenedhiseyes，andwasperfectlystill，exceptinganervousWORKING
　　ofthefingers，andaslight，almostimperceptibletwitchingofthefeatures，whichtookplace，however，onlyatintervals。Thefirstwordheutteredwasspokenasweapproachedtheentranceofthecastleitself，whenhesaid；repeatedly，’Thebackway，thebackway。’Hefearedlesthismothershouldmeethimabruptlyandwithoutpreparation；butalthoughthisfearwasgroundless，sincesheneverleftherroomuntillateintheday，yetitwasthoughtadvisable，and，indeed，necessary，tocautionalltheservantsmoststronglyagainstbreathingahinttotheirmistressoftheeventswhichhadbefallen。
　　Twoorthreegentlemenhadriddenfromthefieldoneafteranother，promisingthattheyshouldovertakeourpartybeforeitreachedthecastle，bringingwiththemmedicalaidfromonequarteroranother；
　　andwedeterminedthatMrs。O’Connorshouldnotknowanythingoftheoccurrenceuntiltheopinionofsomeprofessionalmanshouldhavedeterminedtheextentoftheinjurywhichhersonhadsustained——acourseofconductwhichwouldatleasthavetheeffectofrelievingherfromthehorrorsofsuspense。WhenO’Connorfoundhimselfinhisownroom，andlaiduponhisownbed，heappearedmuchrevived——somuchso，thatIcouldnothelpadmittingastronghopethatallmightyetbewell。
　　’Afterall，Purcell，’saidhe，withamelancholysmile，andspeakingwithevidentdifficulty，’IbelieveIhavegotoffwithatriflingwound。IamsureitcannotbefatalIfeelsolittlepain——almostnone。’
　　Icautionedhimagainstfatiguinghimselfbyendeavouringtospeak；andheremainedquietforalittletime。Atlengthhesaid：
　　’Purcell，Itrustthislessonshallnothavebeengiveninvain。Godhasbeenverymercifultome；Ifeel——IhaveaninternalconfidencethatIamnotwoundedmortally。HadIbeenfatallywounded——
　　hadIbeenkilleduponthespot，onlythinkonit’——andheclosedhiseyesasiftheverythoughtmadehimdizzy——’struckdownintothegrave，unpreparedasIam，intheveryblossomofmysins，withoutamomentofrepentanceorofreflection；I
　　musthavebeenlost——lostforeverandever。’
　　Iprevaileduponhim，withsomedifficulty，toabstainfromsuchagitatingreflections，andatlengthinducedhimtocourtsuchreposeashisconditionadmittedof，byremainingperfectlysilent，andasmuchaspossiblewithoutmotion。
　　O’ConnorandIonlywereintheroom；
　　hehadlainforsometimeintolerablequiet，whenIthoughtIdistinguishedthebustleattendantuponthearrivalofsomeoneatthecastle，andwenteagerlytothewindow，believing，oratleasthoping，thatthesoundsmightannouncetheapproachofthemedicalman，whomwealllongedmostimpatientlytosee。
　　Myconjecturewasright；Ihadthesatisfactionofseeinghimdismountandpreparetoenterthecastle，whenmyobservationswereinterrupted，andmyattentionwasattractedbyasmothered，gurglingsoundproceedingfromthebedinwhichlaythewoundedman。Iinstantlyturnedround，andindoingsothespectaclewhichmetmyeyeswassufficientlyshocking。
　　IhadleftO’Connorlyinginthebed，supportedbypillows，perfectlycalm，andwithhiseyesclosed：hewasnowlyingnearlyinthesameposition，hiseyesopenandalmoststartingfromtheirsockets，witheveryfeaturepaleanddistortedasdeath，andvomitingbloodinquantitiesthatwerefrightful。Irushedtothedoorandcalledforassistance；theparoxysm，thoughviolent，wasbrief，andO’Connorsankintoaswoonsodeepanddeath-like，thatIfearedheshouldwakennomore。
　　Thesurgeon，alittle，fussyman，butI
　　believewithsomeskilltojustifyhispretensions，nowenteredtheroom，carry-
　　inghiscaseofinstruments，andfollowedbyservantsbearingbasinsandwaterandbandagesoflinen。Herelievedourdoubtsbyinstantlyassuringusthat’thepatient’wasstillliving；andatthesametimeprofessedhisdeterminationtotakeadvantageofthemuscularrelaxationwhichthefainthadinducedtoexaminethewound——addingthatapatientwasmoreeasily’handled’wheninaswoonthanunderothercircumstances。
　　Afterexaminingthewoundinfrontwheretheballhadentered，hepassedhishandroundbeneaththeshoulder，andafteralittlepauseheshookhishead，observingthathefearedverymuchthatoneofthevertebraewasfatallyinjured，butthathecouldnotsaydecidedlyuntilhispatientshouldrevivealittle。’Thoughhislanguagewasverytechnical，andconsequentlytomenearlyunintelligible，Icouldperceiveplainlybyhismannerthatheconsideredthecaseasalmosthopeless。
　　O’Connorgraduallygavesomesignsofreturninganimation，andatlengthwassofarrestoredastobeenabledtospeak。
　　Aftersomefewgeneralquestionsastohowhefeltaffected，etc。，etc。，thesurgeon，placinghishanduponhislegandpressingitslightly，askedhimifhefeltanypressureuponthelimb？O’Connoransweredinthenegative——hepressedharder，andrepeatedthequestion；stilltheanswerwasthesame，tillatlength，byrepeatedexperiments，heascertainedthatallthatpartofthebodywhichlaybehindthewoundwasparalysed，provingthatthespinemusthavereceivedsomefatalinjury。
　　’Well，doctor，’saidO’Connor，aftertheexaminationofthewoundwasover；’well，Ishalldo，shan’tI？’
　　Thephysicianwassilentforamoment，andthen，asifwithaneffort，hereplied：
　　’Indeed，mydearsir，itwouldnotbehonesttoflatteryouwithmuchhope。’
　　’Eh？’saidO’ConnorwithmorealacritythanIhadseenhimexhibitsincethemorning；’surelyIdidnothearyouaright；Ispokeofmyrecovery——surelythereisnodoubt；therecanbenone——
　　speakfrankly，doctor，forGod’ssake——amIdying？’
　　Thesurgeonwasevidentlynostoic，andhismannerhadextinguishedinmeeveryhope，evenbeforehehadutteredawordinreply。
　　’Youare——youareindeeddying。Thereisnohope；IshouldbutdeceiveyouifI
　　heldoutany。’
　　Asthesurgeonutteredtheseterriblewords，thehandswhichO’Connorhadstretchedtowardshimwhileawaitinghisreplyfellpowerlessbyhisside；hisheadsankforward；itseemedasifhorroranddespairhadunstrungeverynerveandsinew；heappearedtocollapseandshrinktogetherasaplantmightundertheinfluenceofawitheringspell。
　　Ithasoftenbeenmyfate，sincethen，tovisitthechambersofdeathandofsuffering；
　　Ihavewitnessedfearfulagoniesofbodyandofsoul；themysteriousshudderingsofthedepartingspirit，andtheheart-
　　rendingdesolationofthesurvivors；theseveringofthetenderestties，thepiteousyearningsofunavailinglove——ofallthesethingsthesaddutiesofmyprofessionhavemademeawitness。But，generallyspeaking，Ihaveobservedinsuchscenessomethingtomitigate，ifnotthesorrows，atleasttheterrors，ofdeath；thedyingmanseldomseemstofeeltherealityofhissituation；adullconsciousnessofapproachingdissolution，adimanticipationofunconsciousnessandinsensibility，arethefeelingswhichmostnearlyborderuponanappreciationofhisstate；thefilmofdeathseemstohaveoverspreadthemind’seye，objectslosetheirdistinctness，andfloatcloudilybeforeit，andtheapathyandapparentindifferencewithwhichmenrecognisethesureadvancesofimmediatedeath，robthatawfulhourofmuchofitsterrors，andthedeath-bedofitsotherwiseinevitableagonies。
　　Thisisamercifuldispensation；buttherulehasitsexceptions——itsterribleexceptions。Whenamanisbroughtinaninstant，bysomesuddenaccident，totheveryvergeofthefathomlesspitofdeath，withallhisrecollectionsawake，andhisperceptionskeenlyandvividlyalive，withoutpreviousillnesstosubduethetoneofthemindastodullitsapprehensions——
　　then，andthenonly，thedeath-bedistrulyterrible。