'Donough appeared as averse from
extreme measures as I was myself, for I well knew, with respect to the
final result of the affair, that as much depended upon the tone adopted
by the SECOND, as upon the nature of the written communication.

I have seldom passed a more anxious hour than that which intervened
between the departure and the return of that gentleman. Every instant I
imagined I heard the tramp of a horse approaching, and every time that
a door opened I fancied it was to give entrance to the eagerly expected
courier. At length I did hear the hollow and rapid tread of a horse's
hoof upon the avenue. It approached--it stopped--a hurried step
traversed the hall--the room door opened, and M'Donough entered.

'You have made great haste,' said O'Connor; 'did you find him at home?'

'I did,' replied M'Donough, 'and made the greater haste as Fitzgerald
did not let me know the contents of his reply.'

At the same time he handed a note to O'Connor, who instantly broke the
seal. The words were as follow:

'Mr. Fitzgerald regrets that anything which has fallen from him should
have appeared to Mr. O'Connor to be intended to convey a reflection upon
his honour (none such having been meant), and begs leave to disavow any
wish to quarrel unnecessarily with Mr. O'Connor.

'T---- Inn, Thursday morning.'

I cannot describe how much I felt relieved on reading the above
communication. I took O'Connor's hand and pressed it warmly, but my
emotions were deeper and stronger than I cared to show, for I was
convinced that he had escaped a most imminent danger. Nobody whose
notions upon the subject are derived from the duelling of modern times,
in which matters are conducted without any very sanguinary determination
upon either side, and with equal want of skill and coolness by both
parties, can form a just estimate of the danger incurred by one who
ventured to encounter a duellist of the old school. Perfect coolness
in the field, and a steadiness and accuracy (which to the unpractised
appeared almost miraculous) in the use of the pistol, formed the
characteristics of this class; and in addition to this there generally
existed a kind of professional pride, which prompted the duellist, in
default of any more malignant feeling, from motives of mere vanity,
to seek the life of his antagonist. Fitzgerald's career had been a
remarkably successful one, and I knew that out of thirteen duels which
he had fought in Ireland, in nine cas