ysical chemistry than the world wots
of. Under these circumstances the best thing to do, as it strikes me,
is to try the cause, as our friend Paul would say, on the general issue;
that is, to wait on Herbert; tell him we wish to have a meeting; that,
after what has passed--that 's a sweet phrase isn't it? and has got more
gentlemen carried home on a door than any other I know--that after what
has passed, the thing is unavoidable, and the sooner it comes off the
better. He can't help referring me to a friend, and he can scarcely find
any one that won't see the thing with our eyes. It's quite clear Miss
Bellow's name must be kept out of the matter; and now, my boy, if you
agree with me, leave the whole affair in my hands, tumble into bed, and
go to sleep as fast as you can.'

'I leave it all to you, Phil,' said I, shaking his hand warmly, 'and to
prove my obedience, I'll be in bed in ten minutes.'

O'Grady finished the decanter of sherry, buttoned up his coat, and
slapping his boots with his cane, sauntered downstairs, whistling an
Irish quick step as he went.

When I had half accomplished my undressing, I sat down before the fire,
and, unconsciously to myself, fell into a train of musing about my
present condition. I was very young; knew little of the world: the very
character of my education had been so much under the eye and direction
of my mother, that my knowledge was even less than that of the
generality of young men of my own time of life. It is not surprising,
then, if the events which my new career hurried so rapidly one upon
another, in some measure confused me. Of duelling I had, of course,
heard repeatedly, and had learned to look upon the necessity of it as
more or less imperative upon every man in the outset of his career. Such
was, in a great measure, the tone of the day; and the man who attained
a certain period of life, without having had at least one affair of
honour, was rather suspected of using a degree of prudent caution in
his conduct with the world than of following the popular maxim of the
period, which said, 'Be always ready with the pistol.'

The affair with Lord De Vere, therefore, I looked upon rather as a lucky
hit; I might as well make my debut with him as with any other. So much,
then, for the prejudice of the period. Now, for my private feelings on
the subject, they were, I confess, anything but satisfactory. Without
at all entering into any anticipation I might have felt as to the
fin