men who were well accustomed to the task, they set about
the details of the duel; while Purvis, being at full liberty, slipped
from the spot, and retired into the wood.

"You 've won the first fire, my Lord," said a young Frenchman to
Norwood. "The conditions are twelve paces--back to back--to torn at the
word, and fire."

Norwood bowed, and, without speaking, followed the other to the spot
where he was to stand. As he waited thus, pistol in hand, he was
directly opposite to the place wherein Purvis had taken refuge, and who,
seeing Norwood in front of him, with a cocked pistol, and his finger on
the trigger, uttered a scream of terror, and fell flat on the ground.
Before the rest could discover the cause of the outcry, a shout from
outside of "The Police!" "The Gendarmes!" was heard, and Dr. Grounsell
rushed into the garden, followed by several dismounted dragoons. In
an instant all were away. Norwood sprang over a low balcony into a
vineyard; while in various directions the others scampered off, leaving
Purvis alone upon the field.

But too happy to have fallen into the safe keeping of the authorities,
Purvis accepted his captivity with a most placid contentment.

"Where's Captain Onslow? Have you seen him, sir?" whispered Grounsell to
him.

"I have seen everybody, but I don't re-remember anything. It's all a
dr-dr-dream to me."

"There was no duel? They hadn't fought?" asked Grounsell.

"I--I--I think not; pro-pro-probably not," said Purvis, whose faculties
were still very cloudy.

Grounsell turned away from him in disdain, and entered the house. To
all his inquiries from the waiters of the inn the answers were vague and
insufficient, nor could the doctor discover either what had occurred,
or the reasons of the long delay on the ground. Meanwhile the
_Carabinieri_, stimulated by liberal promises of reward, were searching
the park in every quarter, and scouring the country around to arrest the
fugitives; and the peasantry, enlisted in the pursuit, hastened hither
and thither to aid them. Whether really unable to come up with them,
or, as is more probable, concurring in the escape through bribery, the
dragoons returned to the inn after about an hour's absence, without the
capture of a single prisoner.

Grounsell cursed their Italian indolence, and reviled every institution
of their lazy land. How he raved about foreign falsehood and rascality,
and wished for a London detective and a magistrate of Bow Street!