egrading to be more
particularly alluded to. Let us adjourn this interview for three hours
on the ground of informality. We ought to confer with _two_ gentlemen,
acting on Mr. Romayne's behalf. Be prepared with another second to meet
us, and reconsider your decision before we call again."

The Frenchmen had barely taken their departure by one door, when Romayne
entered by another.

"I have heard it all," he said, quietly. "Accept the challenge."

I declare solemnly that I left no means untried of opposing my friend's
resolution. No man could have felt more strongly convinced than I did,
that nothing could justify the course he was taking. My remonstrances
were completely thrown away. He was deaf to sense and reason, from the
moment when he had heard an imputation on his courage suggested as a
possible result of any affair in which he was concerned.

"With your views," he said, "I won't ask you to accompany me to the
ground. I can easily find French seconds. And mind this, if you attempt
to prevent the meeting, the duel will take place elsewhere--and our
friendship is at an end from that moment."

After this, I suppose it is needless to add that I accompanied him to
the ground the next morning as one of his seconds.

V.

WE were punctual to the appointed hour--eight o'clock.

The second who acted with me was a French gentleman, a relative of one
of the officers who had brought the challenge. At his suggestion, we had
chosen the pistol as our weapon. Romayne, like most Englishmen at
the present time, knew nothing of the use of the sword. He was almost
equally inexperienced with the pistol.

Our opponents were late. They kept us waiting for more than ten minutes.
It was not pleasant weather to wait in. The day had dawned damp and
drizzling. A thick white fog was slowly rolling in on us from the sea.

When they did appear, the General was not among them. A tall,
well-dressed young man saluted Romayne with stern courtesy, and said to
a stranger who accompanied him: "Explain the circumstances."

The stranger proved to be a surgeon. He entered at once on the necessary
explanation. The General was too ill to appear. He had been attacked
that morning by a fit--the consequence of the blow that he had received.
Under these circumstances, his eldest son (Maurice) was now on the
ground to fight the duel on his father's behalf; attended by the
General's seconds, and with the General's full approval.

We instantly refuse