d your life indeed be sacrificed," said Oaklands, and his deep
voice trembled with emotion as he spoke, "I will follow this man as the
avenger of blood, fix a mortal insult upon him wherever I meet him, and
shoot him like a dog, convinced that I shall perform a righteous act in
so doing, by ridding the world of such a monster!"

I saw by his manner that it would be useless to attempt to reason with
him at that moment--his warm feelings, and the fiery though generous
impulses of his impetuous nature, had so completely gained possession of
him, that he was no longer a reasonable creature--we therefore walked
in silence to my rooms, where we parted; I declining his offer to remain
with me till I should learn the decision of Lawless and his friends,
on the plea of wishing to be alone (which was, indeed, a true one),
although my chief reason for so doing was to prevent the possibility of
Oaklands saying anything in his present excited state of mind, which, if
repeated, might in any way involve him with Wilford.

My first act, when I found myself once more alone, was to sit down, and
endeavour calmly to review the situation in which I was placed. In the
event of their deciding that the affair might be arranged amicably, my
course was clear--I had only to avoid Wilford as much as possible during
the time I should remain at Cambridge, and, if ~174~~ever I were obliged
to be in his company, to treat him with a cool and studied civility,
which would leave him no pretext for forcing a quarrel upon me. On the
other hand, if they should think it imperative upon me to go out with
him, then indeed was the prospect a gloomy one. Wilford, whose ruthless
disposition was so well known as to have become, as it were, a by-word
among the set he mixed with, was not a man to be offended with impunity,
and as, moreover, I had made up my mind not to return his fire, the
chances were strongly against my escaping with life.

I am no coward; on the contrary, like most men whose physical energy is
unimpaired, I am constitutionally fearless, and in moments of danger
and excitement have never found myself wanting; still it would be
affectation to deny that the prospect of a sudden and violent death,
thus unexpectedly forced upon me, impressed my mind with a vague
sensation of terror, mingled with regret for the past, and sorrow for
the future. To be thus cut off in the bright spring-time of vigorous
manhood, when the warm blood of youth dances gladly