Mr. Brady, I'll thank you
to pay me the sum you owe me, and I'll resign all claims to this young
lady. If she has a fancy for schoolboys, let her take 'em, sir.'

'Pooh, pooh! Quin, you are joking,' said Mick.

'I never was more in earnest,' replied the other.

'By Heaven, then, look to yourself!' shouted Mick. 'Infamous seducer!
infernal deceiver!--you come and wind your toils round this suffering
angel here--you win her heart and leave her--and fancy her brother won't
defend her? Draw this minute, you slave! and let me cut the wicked heart
out of your body!'

'This is regular assassination,' said Quin, starting back; 'there's two
on 'em on me at once. Fagan, you won't let 'em murder me?'

'Faith!' said Captain Fagan, who seemed mightily amused, 'you may settle
your own quarrel, Captain Quin;' and coming over to me, whispered, 'At
him again, you little fellow.'

'As long as Mr. Quin withdraws his claim,' said I, 'I, of course, do not
interfere.'

'I do, sir--I do,' said Mr. Quin, more and more flustered.

'Then defend yourself like a man, curse you!' cried Mick again. 'Mysie,
lead this poor victim away--Redmond and Fagan will see fair play between
us.'

'Well now--I don't--give me time--I'm puzzled--I--I don't know which way
to look.'

'Like the donkey betwixt the two bundles of hay,' said Mr. Fagan drily,
'and there's pretty pickings on either side.'

CHAPTER II. I SHOW MYSELF TO BE A MAN OF SPIRIT

During this dispute, my cousin Nora did the only thing that a lady,
under such circumstances, could do, and fainted in due form. I was in
hot altercation with Mick at the time, or I should have, of course,
flown to her assistance, but Captain Fagan (a dry sort of fellow this
Fagan was) prevented me, saying, 'I advise you to leave the young
lady to herself, Master Redmond, and be sure she will come to.' And so
indeed, after a while, she did, which has shown me since that Fagan
knew the world pretty well, for many's the lady I've seen in after times
recover in a similar manner. Quin did not offer to help her, you may be
sure, for, in the midst of the diversion, caused by her screaming, the
faithless bully stole away.

'Which of us is Captain Quin to engage?' said I to Mick; for it was my
first affair, and I was as proud of it as of a suit of laced velvet. 'Is
it you or I, Cousin Mick, that is to have the honour of chastising this
insolent Englishman?' And I held out my hand as I spoke, for my heart
me