endearedhimtomesomuchthatIhaveneverfeltthepangsofpartingmorekeenlythanwhenitbecamenecessary，forthefinishingofhiseducation，thatheshouldgoabroad。
　　ThreeyearshadpassedawaybeforeI
　　sawhimagain。Duringtheinterval，however，Ihadfrequentlyheardfromhim，sothatabsencehadnotabatedthewarmthofourattachment。Whocouldtelloftherejoicingsthatmarkedtheeveningofhisreturn？Thehorseswereremovedfromthechaiseatthedistanceofamilefromthecastle，whileitanditscontentswerebornerapidlyonwardalmostbythepressureofthemultitude，likealoguponatorrent。Bonfiresblaredfarandnear——
　　bagpipesroaredandfiddlessqueaked；and，amidthethunderingshoutsofthousands，thecarriagedrewupbeforethecastle。
　　InaninstantyoungO’Connorwasupontheground，crying，’Thankyou，boys——
　　thankyou，boys；’whileathousandhandswerestretchedoutfromallsidestograspevenafingerofhis。Still，amidshoutsof’Godblessyourhonour——longmayyoureign!’and’Makeroomthere，boys!cleartheroadforthemasther!’hereachedthethresholdofthecastle，wherestoodhismotherweepingforjoy。
　　Oh!whocoulddescribethatembrace，ortheenthusiasmwithwhichitwaswitnessed？’Godblesshimtoyou，mylady——
　　glorytoyeboth!’and’Oh，butheisafineyounggentleman，Godblesshim!’
　　resoundedonallsides，whilehatsflewupinvolleysthatdarkenedthemoon；andwhenatlength，amidthebroaddelightedgrinsofthethrongingdomestics，whosesenseofdecorumprecludedanymoreboisterousevidenceofjoy，theyreachedtheparlour，thengivingwaytothefulnessofherjoythewidowedmotherkissedandblessedhimandweptinturn。WellmightanyparentbeproudtoclaimassonthehandsomestriplingwhonowrepresentedtheCastleConnorfamily；buttoherhisbeautyhadapeculiarcharm，foritboreastrikingresemblancetothatofherhusband，thelastO’Connor。
　　Iknownotwhetherpartialityblindedme，orthatIdidnomorethanjusticetomyfriendinbelievingthatIhadneverseensohandsomeayoungman。Iaminclinedtothinkthelatter。Hewasrathertall，veryslightlyandelegantlymade；hisfacewasoval，andhisfeaturesdecidedlySpanishincastandcomplexion，butwithfarmorevivacityofexpressionthangenerallybelongstothebeautyofthatnation。
　　Theextremedelicacyofhisfeaturesandthevariedanimationofhiscountenancemadehimappearevenyoungerthanhisyears——anillusionwhichthetotalabsenceofeverythingstudiedinhismannersseemedtoconfirm。Timehadwroughtnosmallchangeinme，alikeinmindandspirits；butinthecaseofO’Connoritseemedtohavelostitspowertoalter。
　　Hisgaietywasundamped，hisgenerosityunchilled；andthoughthespacewhichhadintervenedbetweenourpartingandreunionwasbutbrief，yetattheperiodoflifeatwhichwewere，evenashorterintervalthanthatofthreeyearshasfrequentlyservedtoformorDEformacharacter。
　　WeekshadpassedawaysincethereturnofO’Connor，andscarceadayhadelapsedwithoutmyseeinghim，whentheneighbourhoodwasthrownintoanunusualstateofexcitementbytheannouncementofarace-balltobecelebratedattheassembly-
　　roomofthetownofT——，distantscarcelytwomilesfromCastleConnor。
　　YoungO’Connor，asIhadexpected，determinedatoncetoattendit；andhavingdirectedinvainallthepowersofhisrhetorictopersuadehismothertoaccompanyhim，heturnedthewholebatteryofhislogicuponme，who，atthattime，feltareluctancestrongerthanthatofmereapathytomixinginanyofthesescenesofnoisypleasureforwhichformanyreasonsIfeltmyselfunfitted。Hewassourgentandpersevering，however，thatIcouldnotrefuse；andIfoundmyselfreluctantlyobligedtomakeupmymindtoattendhimupontheimportantnighttothespaciousbutill-finishedbuilding，whichthefashionandbeautyofthecountywerepleasedtotermanassembly-
　　room。
　　Whenweenteredtheapartment，wefoundaselectfew，surroundedbyacrowdofspectators，busilyperformingaminuet，withallthecongeesandflourisheswhichbelongedtothatcourtlydance；andmycompanion，infectedbythecontagionofexample，wassoon，asIhadanticipated，wavinghischapeaubras，andgracefullybowingbeforeoneoftheprettiestgirlsintheroom。Ihadneitherskillnorspiritstoqualifymetofollowhisexample；andasthefulnessoftheroomrenderediteasytodosowithoutitsappearingsingular，I
　　determinedtobemerelyaspectatorofthescenewhichsurroundedme，withouttakinganactivepartinitsamusements。
　　Theroomwasindeedverymuchcrowded，sothatitsvariousgroups，formedasdesignoraccidenthadthrownthepartiestogether，affordednosmallfundofentertainmenttothecontemplativeobserver。Therewerethedancers，allgaietyandgood-humour；alittlefurtheroffwerethetablesatwhichsatthecard-
　　players，someplyingtheirvocationwithdeepandsilentanxiety——forinthosedaysgamingoftenranveryhighinsuchplaces——andothersdisputingwithallthevociferouspertinacityofundisguisedill-
　　temper。There，again，werethesallow，blue-nosed，grey-eyeddealersinwhisperedscandal；and，inshort，thereisscarcelyagrouporcombinationtobemetwithinthecourtofkingswhichmightnothavefoundahumbleparallelintheassembly-
　　roomofT。
　　Iwasallowedtoindulgeinundisturbedcontemplation，forIsupposeIwasnotknowntomorethanfiveorsixintheroom。Ithushadleisurenotonlytoobservethedifferentclassesintowhichthecompanyhaddivideditself，buttoamusemyselfbyspeculatingastotherankandcharacterofmanyoftheindividualactorsinthedrama。
　　Amongmanywhohavelongsincepassedfrommymemory，onepersonforsometimeengagedmyattention，andthatperson，formanyreasons，Ishallnotsoonforget。Hewasatall，square-shoulderedman，whostoodinacarelessattitude，leaningwithhisbacktothewall；heseemedtohavesecludedhimselffromthebusymultitudeswhichmovednoisilyandgailyaroundhim，andnobodyseemedtoobserveortoconversewithhim。Hewasfashionablydressed，butperhapsratherextravagantly；hisfacewasfullandheavy，expressiveofsullennessandstupidity，andmarkedwiththelinesofstrongvulgarity；hisagemightbesomewherebetweenfortyandfifty。SuchasI
　　haveendeavouredtodescribehim，heremainedmotionless，hisarmsdoggedlyfoldedacrosshisbroadchest，andturninghissulleneyesfromcornertocorneroftheroom，asifeagertodetectsomeobjectonwhichtoventhisill-humour。
　　Itisstrange，andyetitistrue，thatonesometimesfindseveninthemostcommonplacecountenanceanundefinablesomething，whichfascinatestheattention，andforcesittorecuragainandagain，whileitisimpossibletotellwhetherthepeculiaritywhichthusattractsusliesinfeatureorinexpression。orinbothcombined，andwhyitisthatourobservationshouldbeengrossedbyanobjectwhich，whenanalysed，seemstopossessnoclaimtointerestoreventonotice。ThisunaccountablefeelingIhaveoftenexperienced，andIbelieveIamnotsingular。butneverinsoremarkableadegreeasuponthisoccasion。MyfriendO’Connor，havingdisposedofhisfairpartner，wascrossingtheroomforthepurposeofjoiningme，indoingwhichIwassurprisedtoseehimexchangeafamiliar，almostacordial，greetingwiththeobjectofmycuriosity。
　　IsayIwassurprised，forindependentofhisveryquestionableappearance，itstruckmeasstrangethatthoughsoconstantlyassociatedwithO’Connor，and，asI
　　thought，personallyacquaintedwithallhisintimates，Ihadneverbeforeevenseenthisindividual。Ididnotfailimmediatelytoaskhimwhothisgentlemanwas。Ithoughtheseemedslightlyembarrassed，butafteramoment’spausehelaughinglysaidthathisfriendoverthewaywastoomysteriousapersonagetohavehisnameannouncedinsogiddyasceneasthepresent；butthatonthemorrowhewouldfurnishmewithalltheinformationwhichIcoulddesire。Therewas，Ithought，inhisaffectedjocularityarealawkwardnesswhichappearedtomeunaccountable，andconsequentlyincreasedmycuriosity；itsgratification，however，I
　　wasobligedtodefer。Atlength，weariedwithwitnessingamusementsinwhichI
　　couldnotsympathise，Ilefttheroom，anddidnotseeO’Connoruntillateinthenextday。
　　IhadriddendowntowardsthecastleforthepurposeofvisitingtheO’Connors，andhadnearlyreachedtheavenueleadingtothemansion，whenImetmyfriend。
　　Hewasalsomounted；andhavingansweredmyinquiriesrespectinghismother，heeasilypersuadedmetoaccompanyhiminhisramble。Wehadchattedasusualforsometime，when，afterapause，O’Connorsaid：
　　’Bytheway，Purcell，youexpressedsomecuriosityrespectingthetall，handsomefellowtowhomIspokelastnight。’
　　’IcertainlydidquestionyouaboutaTALLgentleman，butwasnotawareofhisclaimstobeauty，’repliedI。
　　’Well，thatisasitmaybe，’saidhe；
　　’theladiesthinkhimhandsome，andtheiropinionuponthatscoreismorevaluablethanyoursormine。Doyouknow，’hecontinued，’IsometimesfeelhalfsorrythatIevermadethefellow’sacquaintance：
　　heisquiteamarkedmanhere，andtheytellstoriesofhimthatareanythingbutreputable，thoughIamsurewithoutfoundation。IthinkIknowenoughabouthimtowarrantmeinsayingso。’
　　’MayIaskhisname？’inquiredI。
　　’Oh!didnotItellyouhisname？’
　　rejoinedhe。’Youshouldhaveheardthatfirst；heandhisnameareequallywellknown。YouwillrecognisetheindividualatoncewhenItellyouthathisnameis——Fitzgerald。’
　　’Fitzgerald!’Irepeated。’Fitzgerald!——
　　canitbeFitzgeraldtheduellist？’
　　’Uponmywordyouhavehitit，’repliedhe，laughing；’butyouhaveaccompaniedthediscoverywithalookofhorrormoretragicthanappropriate。Heisnotthemonsteryoutakehimfor——hehasagooddealofoldIrishpride；histemperishasty，andhehasbeenunfortunatelythrowninthewayofmenwhohavenotmadeallowanceforthesethings。IamconvincedthatineverycaseinwhichFitzgeraldhasfought，ifthetruthcouldbediscovered，hewouldbefoundtohaveactedthroughoutuponthedefensive。Nomanismadenoughtoriskhisownlife，exceptwhenthedoingsoisanalternativetosubmittingtamelytowhatheconsidersaninsult。Iamcertainthatnomaneverengagedinaduelundertheconsciousnessthathehadactedanintentionallyaggressivepart。’
　　’Whendidyoumakehisacquaintance？’
　　saidI。
　　’Abouttwoyearsago，’hereplied。’I
　　methiminFrance，andyouknowwhenoneisabroaditisanungracioustasktorejecttheadvancesofone’scountryman，otherwiseIthinkIshouldhaveavoidedhissociety——lessuponmyownaccountthanbecauseIamsuretheacquaintancewouldbeasourceofcontinualthoughgroundlessuneasinesstomymother。Iknow，therefore，thatyouwillnotunnecessarilymentionitsexistencetoher。’
　　Igavehimthedesiredassurance，andadded：
　　’MayIaskyou。O’Connor，if，indeed，itbeafairquestion，whetherthisFitzgeraldatanytimeattemptedtoengageyouinanythinglikegaming？’
　　ThisquestionwassuggestedbymyhavingfrequentlyheardFitzgeraldmentionedasanotedgambler，andsometimesevenasablackleg。O’Connorseemed，I
　　thought，slightlyembarrassed。Heanswered：
　　’No，no——Icannotsaythatheeverattemptedanythingofthekind。I
　　certainlyhaveplayedwithhim，butneverlosttoanyseriousamount；norcanI
　　recollectthatheeversolicitedme——indeedheknowsthatIhaveastrongobjectiontodeepplay。YOUmustbeawarethatmyfinancescouldnotbearmuchpruningdown。Ineverlostmoretohimatasittingthanaboutfivepounds，whichyouknowisnothing。No，youwronghimifyouimaginethatheattachedhimselftomemerelyforthesakeofsuchcontemptiblewinningsasthosewhichabroken-downIrishgentlemancouldaffordhim。Come，Purcell，youaretooharduponhim——youjudgeonlybyreport；youmustseehim，anddecideforyourself——Supposewecalluponhimnow；heisattheinn，intheHighStreet，notamileoff。’
　　Ideclinedtheproposaldrily。
　　’Yourcautionistooeasilyalarmed，’
　　saidhe。’Idonotwishyoutomakethismanyourbosomfriend：Imerelydesirethatyoushouldseeandspeaktohim，andifyouformanyacquaintancewithhim，itmustbeofthatslightnaturewhichcanbedroppedorcontinuedatpleasure。’
　　FromthetimethatO’ConnorhadannouncedthefactthathisfriendwasnootherthanthenotoriousFitzgerald，aforebodingofsomethingcalamitoushadcomeuponme，anditnowoccurredtomethatifanyunpleasantnessweretobefearedaslikelytoresulttoO’Connorfromtheirconnection，Imightfindmyattemptstoextricatehimmuchfacilitatedbymybeingacquainted，howeverslightly，withFitzgerald。Iknownotwhethertheideawasreasonable——itwascertainlynatural；