andItoldO’ConnorthatuponsecondthoughtsIwouldridedownwithhimtothetown，andwaituponMr。Fitzgerald。
　　Wefoundhimathome；andchattedwithhimforaconsiderabletime。Tomysurprisehismannerswereperfectlythoseofagentleman，andhisconversation，ifnotpeculiarlyengaging，wascertainlyamusing。Thepolitenessofhisdemeanour，andtheeasyfluencywithwhichhetoldhisstoriesandhisanecdotes，manyofthemcurious，andallmoreorlessentertaining，accountedtomymindatonceforthefacilitywithwhichhehadimprovedhisacquaintancewithO’Connor；andwhenhepresseduponusaninvitationtosupwithhimthatnight，IhadalmostjoinedO’Connorinacceptingit。Idetermined，however，againstdoingso，forI
　　hadnowishtobeontermsoffamiliaritywithMr。Fitzgerald；andIknewthatoneeveningspenttogetherasheproposedwouldgofurthertowardsestablishinganintimacybetweenusthanfiftymorningvisitscoulddo。WhenIarosetodepart，itwaswithfeelingsalmostfavourabletoFitzgerald；indeedIwasmorethanhalfashamedtoacknowledgetomycompanionhowcompletearevolutioninmyopinionrespectinghisfriendhalfanhour’sconversationwithhimhadwrought。HisappearancecertainlyWASagainsthim；butthen，undertheinfluenceofhismanner，onelostsightofmuchofitsungainliness，andofnearlyallitsvulgarity；and，onthewhole，Ifeltconvincedthatreporthaddonehimgrievouswrong，inasmuchasanybody，byanobservanceofthecommoncourtesiesofsociety，mighteasilyavoidcomingintopersonalcollisionwithagentlemansostudiouslypoliteasFitzgerald。Atparting，O’Connorrequestedmetocalluponhimthenextday，asheintendedtomaketrialofthemeritsofapairofgreyhounds，whichhehadthoughtsofpurchasing；adding，thatifhecouldescapeinanythingliketolerabletimefromFitzgerald’ssupper-party，hewouldtakethefieldsoonaftertenonthenextmorning。Attheappointedhour，orperhapsalittlelater，IdismountedatCastleConnor；and，onenteringthehall，IobservedagentlemanissuingfromO’Connor’sprivateroom。Irecognisedhim，asheapproached，asaMr。
　　M’Donough，and，beingbutslightlyacquaintedwithhim，wasabouttopasshimwithabow，whenhestoppedme。
　　Therewassomethinginhismannerwhichstruckmeasodd；heseemedagooddealflurriedifnotagitated，andsaid，inahurriedtone：
　　’Thisisaveryfoolishbusiness，Mr。
　　Purcell。YouhavesomeinfluencewithmyfriendO’Connor；Ihopeyoucaninducehimtoadoptsomemoremoderatelineofconductthanthathehasdecidedupon。Ifyouwillallowme，Iwillreturnforamomentwithyou，andtalkoverthematteragainwithO’Connor。’
　　AsM’Donoughutteredthesewords，I
　　feltthatsuddensinkingoftheheartwhichaccompaniestheimmediateanticipationofsomethingdreadedanddreadful。IwasinstantlyconvincedthatO’ConnorhadquarrelledwithFitzgerald，andIknewthatifsuchwerethecase，nothingshortofamiraclecouldextricatehimfromtheconsequences。IsignedtoM’Donoughtoleadtheway，andweenteredthelittlestudytogether。O’Connorwasstandingwithhisbacktothefire；onthetablelaythebreakfast-thingsinthedisorderinwhichahurriedmealhadleftthem；andonanothersmallertable，placednearthehearth，laypen，ink，andpaper。AssoonasO’Connorsawme，hecameforwardandshookmecordiallybythehand。
　　’MydearPurcell，’saidhe，’youaretheverymanIwanted。Ihavegotintoanuglyscrape，andItrusttomyfriendstogetmeoutofit。’
　　’Youhavehadnodisputewiththatman——thatFitzgerald，Ihope，’saidI，givingutterancetotheconjecturewhosetruthImostdreaded。
　　’Faith，Icannotsayexactlywhatpassedbetweenus，’saidhe，’inasmuchasIwasatthetimenearlyhalfseasover；butofthismuchIamcertain，thatweexchangedangrywordslastnight。I
　　lostmytempermostconfoundedly；but，aswellasIcanrecollect，heappearedperfectlycoolandcollected。Whathesaidwas，therefore，deliberatelysaid，andonthataccountmustberesented。’
　　’MydearO’Connor，areyoumad？’I
　　exclaimed。’Whywillyouseektodrivetoadeadlyissueafewhastywords，utteredundertheinfluenceofwine，andforgottenalmostassoonasuttered？A
　　quarrelwithFitzgeralditistwentychancestoonewouldterminatefatallytoyou。’
　　’ItisexactlybecauseFitzgeraldISsuchanaccomplishedshot，’saidhe，’thatI
　　becomeliabletothemostinjuriousandintolerablesuspicionsifIsubmittoanythingfromhimwhichcouldbeconstruedintoanaffront；andforthatreasonFitzgeraldistheverylastmantowhomI
　　wouldconcedeaninchinacaseofhonour。’
　　’Idonotrequireyoutomakeany，theslightestsacrificeofwhatyoutermyourhonour，’Ireplied；’butifyouhaveactuallywrittenachallengetoFitzgerald，asIsuspectyouhavedone，Iconjureyoutoreconsiderthematterbeforeyoudespatchit。FromallthatIhaveheardyousay，Fitzgeraldhasmoretocomplainofinthealtercationwhichhastakenplacethanyou。Youoweittoyouronlysurvivingparentnottothrustyourselfthuswantonlyupon——Iwillsayit，themostappallingdanger。Nobody，mydearO’Connor，canhaveadoubtofyourcourage；andifatanytime，whichGodforbid，youshallbecalleduponthustoriskyourlife，youshouldhaveitinyourpowertoenterthefieldundertheconsciousnessthatyouhaveactedthroughouttemperatelyandlikeaman，andnot，asI
　　fearyounowwoulddo，havingrashlyandmostcauselesslyendangeredyourownlifeandthatofyourfriend。’
　　’Ibelieve，Purcell，yourareright，’saidhe。’IbelieveIHAVEviewedthematterintoodecidedalight；mynote，Ithink，scarcelyallowshimanhonourablealternative，andthatiscertainlygoingasteptoofar——furtherthanIintended。Mr。
　　M’Donough，I’llthankyoutohandmethenote。’
　　Hebroketheseal，and，castinghiseyehastilyoverit，hecontinued：
　　’Itis，indeed，amonumentoffolly。I
　　amveryglad，Purcell，youhappenedtocomein，otherwiseitwouldhavereacheditsdestinationbythistime。’
　　Hethrewitintothefire；and，afteramoment’spause，resumed：
　　’Youmustnotmistakeme，however。
　　Iamperfectlysatisfiedastothepropriety，nay，thenecessity，ofcommunicatingwithFitzgerald。ThedifficultyisinwhattoneIshouldaddresshim。Icannotsaythatthemandirectlyaffrontedme——IcannotrecollectanyoneexpressionwhichIcouldlayholduponasoffensive——buthislanguagewasambiguous，andadmittedfrequentlyofthemostinsultingconstruction，andhismannerthroughoutwasinsupportablydomineering。IknowitimpressedmewiththeideathathepresumeduponhisreputationasaDEADSHOT，andthatwouldbeutterlyunendurable’
　　’Iwouldnowrecommend，asIhavealreadydone，’saidM’Donough，’thatifyouwritetoFitzgerald，itshouldbeinsuchastrainastoleavehimatperfectliberty，withoutacompromiseofhonour，inafriendlyway，tosatisfyyourdoubtsastohisconduct。’
　　Isecondedtheproposalwarmly，andO’Connor，inafewminutes，finishedanote，whichhedesiredustoread。Itwastothiseffect：
　　’O’Connor，ofCastleConnor，feelingthatsomeexpressionsemployedbyMr。
　　Fitzgeralduponlastnight，admittedofaconstructionoffensivetohim，andinjurioustohischaracter，requeststoknowwhetherMr。Fitzgeraldintendedtoconveysuchameaning。
　　’CastleConnor，Thursdaymorning。’
　　ThisnotewasconsignedtothecareofMr。M’Donough，whoforthwithdepartedtoexecutehismission。Thesoundofhishorse’shoofs，asheroderapidlyaway，struckheavilyatmyheart；butIfoundsomesatisfactioninthereflectionthatM’DonoughappearedasaversefromextrememeasuresasIwasmyself，forI
　　wellknew，withrespecttothefinalresultoftheaffair，thatasmuchdependeduponthetoneadoptedbytheSECOND，asuponthenatureofthewrittencommunication。
　　Ihaveseldompassedamoreanxioushourthanthatwhichintervenedbetweenthedepartureandthereturnofthatgentleman。EveryinstantIimaginedIheardthetrampofahorseapproaching，andeverytimethatadooropenedIfancieditwastogiveentrancetotheeagerlyexpectedcourier。AtlengthIdidhearthehollowandrapidtreadofahorse’shoofupontheavenue。Itapproached——itstopped——ahurriedsteptraversedthehall——theroomdooropened，andM’Donoughentered。
　　’Youhavemadegreathaste，’saidO’Connor；’didyoufindhimathome？’
　　’Idid，’repliedM’Donough，’andmadethegreaterhasteasFitzgeralddidnotletmeknowthecontentsofhisreply。’
　　AtthesametimehehandedanotetoO’Connor，whoinstantlybroketheseal。
　　Thewordswereasfollow：
　　’Mr。FitzgeraldregretsthatanythingwhichhasfallenfromhimshouldhaveappearedtoMr。O’Connortobeintendedtoconveyareflectionuponhishonournonesuchhavingbeenmeant，andbegsleavetodisavowanywishtoquarrelunnecessarilywithMr。O’Connor。
　　’T——Inn，Thursdaymorning。’
　　IcannotdescribehowmuchIfeltrelievedonreadingtheabovecommunication。
　　ItookO’Connor’shandandpresseditwarmly，butmyemotionsweredeeperandstrongerthanIcaredtoshow，forI
　　wasconvincedthathehadescapedamostimminentdanger。Nobodywhosenotionsuponthesubjectarederivedfromtheduellingofmoderntimes，inwhichmattersareconductedwithoutanyverysanguinarydeterminationuponeitherside，andwithequalwantofskillandcoolnessbybothparties，canformajustestimateofthedangerincurredbyonewhoventuredtoencounteraduellistoftheoldschool。
　　Perfectcoolnessinthefield，andasteadinessandaccuracywhichtotheunpractisedappearedalmostmiraculousintheuseofthepistol，formedthecharacteristicsofthisclass；andinadditiontothistheregenerallyexistedakindofprofessionalpride，whichpromptedtheduellist，indefaultofanymoremalignantfeeling，frommotivesofmerevanity，toseekthelifeofhisantagonist。Fitzgerald’scareerhadbeenaremarkablysuccessfulone，andIknewthatoutofthirteenduelswhichhehadfoughtinIreland，inninecaseshehadKILLEDhisman。Inthosedaysoneneverheardofthepartiesleavingthefield，asnotunfrequentlynowoccurs，withoutbloodhavingbeenspilt；andtheoddswere，ofcourse，inallcasestremendouslyagainstayoungandunpractisedman，whenmatchedwithanexperiencedantagonist。Myimpressionrespectingthemagnitudeofthedangerwhichmyfriendhadincurredwasthereforebynomeansunwarranted。
　　InowquestionedO’ConnormoreaccuratelyrespectingthecircumstancesofhisquarrelwithFitzgerald。Itarosefromsomedisputerespectingtheapplicationofaruleofpiquet，atwhichgametheyhadbeenplaying，eachinterpretingitfavourablytohimself，andO’Connor，havinglostconsiderably，wasinnomoodtoconductanargumentwithtemper——analtercationensued，andthatofratherapungentnature，andtheresultwasthatheleftFitzgerald’sroomratherabruptly，determinedtodemandanexplanationinthemostperemptorytone。ForthispurposehehadsentforM’Donough，andhadcommissionedhimtodeliverthenote，whichmyarrivalhadfortunatelyintercepted。
　　Asitwasnowpastnoon，O’Connormademepromisetoremainwithhimtodinner；andwesatdownapartyofthree，allinhighspiritsattheterminationofouranxieties。Itisnecessarytomention，forthepurposeofaccountingforwhatfollows，thatMrs。O’Connor，or，asshewasmoreeuphoniouslystyled，theladyofCastleConnor，wasprecludedbyill-healthfromtakingherplaceatthedinner-table，and，indeed，seldomleftherroombeforefouro’clock。[4]Weweresittingafterdinnersippingourclaret，andtalking，andlaughing，andenjoyingourselvesexceedingly，whenaservant，steppingintotheroom，informedhismasterthatagentlemanwantedtospeakwithhim。
　　[4]Itisscarcelynecessarytoremindthereader，thatattheperiodspokenof，theimportanthourofdinneroccurredverynearlyatnoon。
　　’Requesthim，withmycompliments，towalkin，’saidO’Connor；andinafewmomentsagentlemanenteredtheroom。
　　Hisappearancewasanythingbutprepossessing。Hewasalittleabovethemiddlesize，spare，andraw-boned；hisfaceveryred，hisfeaturessharpandbluish，andhisagemightbeaboutsixty。HisattiresavouredagooddealoftheSHABBY-
　　GENTEEL；hisclothes，whichhadmuchoftarnishedandfadedpretensionaboutthem，didnotfithim，andhadnotimprobablyflutteredinthestallsofPlunketStreet。Wehadrisenonhisentrance，andO’Connorhadtwicerequestedofhimtotakeachairatthetable，withouthishearing，oratleastnoticing，theinvitation；whilewithaslowpace，andwithanairofmingledimportanceandeffrontery，headvancedintothecentreoftheapartment，andregardingoursmallpartywithasuperciliousair，hesaid：
　　’Itakethelibertyofintroducingmyself——IamCaptainM’Creagh，formerlyofthe——infantry。MybusinesshereiswithaMr。O’Connor，andthesooneritisdespatchedthebetter。’