any description.

"I feel better than if I was dead," said Hoffland, laughing, "and I
know _you_ are glad, Ernest, that I am still alive."

"Sincerely," said Mowbray, smiling.

"Wasn't it a good idea of mine to carry on all the correspondence?"

"Yes; the result proves it in this instance. I thought that I could
arrange the unhappy affair, but I believe you were right in taking it
out of my hands--or rather, in never delivering it to me. Well, I am
delighted that it is over. I could ill spare you or Denis; and God
forbid that you should ever fall victims to this barbarous child's
play, duelling."

"Ah! my dear fellow," replied Hoffland, "we men must have some
tribunal above the courts of law; and then you know the women dote
upon a duellist.

"Yes, Hoffland, as they dote upon an interesting monstrosity--the
worse portion. Women admire courage, because it is the quality they
lack--I mean animal courage, the mere faculty of looking into a
pistol-muzzle calmly; and their admiration is so great that they are
carried away by it. They admire in the same way a gay wild fellow;
they do not dislike even a 'poor fellow--ah! very dissipated!' and
this arises from the fact that they admire decided 'character' of any
description, more than the want of character--even when the possesser
of _character_ is led into vice by it."

"A great injustice!--a deep injustice!" said Hoffland "I wonder how
you can say so!"

"I can say so because I believe it to be true--nay, I know it."

"Conceited!--you know women indeed!"

"Not even remotely; but listen. I was about to add that women admire
reckless courage and excessive animal spirits. But let that courage
lead a man to shed another's blood for a jest, or let that animal
spirit draw a man into degrading and bestial advice--presto! they
leave him!"

"And they are right!"

"Certainly."

"Well, sir?"

"But they are not the less wrong at first: the importance they attach
to courage leads many boys and young men into murderous affrays--just
as their satirical comments upon 'milky dispositions' lead thousands
into vice."

"Oh, Ernest!"

"Do you deny it?"

"Wholly."

"Well, that only proves to me once more that you know nothing of
women."

"Do you think so?" said Hoffland, smiling.

"Yes: what I have said is the tritest truth. That women admire these
qualities excessively, and that men, especially young men, shape their
conduct by this feminine feeling, is as true as th