to the cabin arrangements."

Captain Starkey bowed. I had never, I thought, seen Antonia smile so
sweetly; and the two ladies left us. I do not precisely remember how it
came about, or what first led to it, but it was not very long before we
were all conscious that the conversation had assumed a disagreeable tone.
It struck me that possibly M. Dupont did not like the expression of
Antonia's face as she courtesied to Captain Starkey. This, however, would,
I think, have passed off harmlessly, had it not been that the captain
happened to mention, very imprudently, that he had once served as a
midshipman on board the English slave-squadron. This fanned M. Dupont's
smouldering ill-humor into a flame, and I gathered from his confused
maledictions that he had suffered in property from the exertions of that
force. The storm of angry words raged fiercely. The motives of the English
for interfering with the slave-traffic were denounced with contemptuous
bitterness on the one side, and as warmly and angrily defended on the
other. Finally--the fact is, they were both flustered with wine and
passion, and scarcely knew what they said or did--M. Dupont applied an
epithet to the Queen of England, which instantly brought a glass of wine
full in his face from the hand of Captain Starkey. They were all in an
instant on their feet, and apparently sobered, or nearly so, by the
unfortunate issue of the wordy tumult.

Captain Starkey was the first to speak. His flushed and angry features
paled suddenly to an almost deathly white, and he stammered out, "I beg
your pardon, M. Dupont. It was wrong--very wrong in me to do so, though not
inexcusable."

"Pardon? _Mille tonnerres!_" shouted Dupont, who was capering about in an
ecstasy of rage, and wiping his face with his handkerchief. "Yes, a bullet
through your head shall pardon you--nothing less!"

Indeed, according to the then notions of Cuban society, no other
alternative save the duello appeared possible. Lieutenant Arguellas
hurried at once into the house, and speedily returned with a case of
pistols. "Let us proceed," he said, in a quick whisper, "to the grove
yonder; we shall be there free from interruption." He took Dupont's arm,
and both turned to move off. As they did so, Mr. Desmond, the elder of the
American gentlemen, stepped toward Captain Starkey, who with recovered
calmness, and with his arms folded, was standing by the table, and said,
"I am not entirely, my good sir, a strange