ing gayly at Colonel Royale's observations upon
the situation.

"Wounds in the body from Forister," quoth he academically, "are almost
certain to be fatal, for his wrist has a magnificent twist which
reminds one of a top. I do not know where he learned this wrist
movement, but almost invariably it leads him to kill his man. Last
year I saw him--I digress. I must look to it that O'Ruddy has quiet,
rest, and peace of mind until the morning."

Yes; I would have great peace of mind until the morning! I saw that
clearly.

"Well," said I, "at any rate we will know more to-morrow. A good day
to you, Lord Strepp, and I hope your principal has no more harm come
to him than I care to have come to me, which is precious little, and
in which case the two of us will be little hurted."

"Good-bye, O'Ruddy," said the young man.

In the corridor the Colonel slapped my shoulder in a sudden exuberant
outburst.

"O'Ruddy," he cried, "the chance of your life! Probably the best-known
swordsman in all England! 'Pon my word, if you should even graze him,
it would almost make you a peer. If you truly pinked him, you could
marry a duchess. My eye, what an opportunity for a young and ambitious
man."

"And what right has he to be such a fine swordsman?" I demanded
fretfully. "Damn him! 'Tis no right of a little tadpole like him to be
a great cut-throat. One could never have told from the look of him,
and yet it simply teaches one to be always cautious with men."

The Colonel was bubbling over with good nature, his mind full of the
prospective event.

"I saw Ponsonby kill Stewart in their great fight several years
agone," he cried, rubbing his hands, "but Ponsonby was no such
swordsman as Forister, and I misdoubt me that Stewart was much better
than you yourself."

Here was a cheerful butcher. I eyed him coldly.

"And out of this," said I slowly, "comes a vast deal of entertainment
for you, and a hole between two ribs for me. I think I need a drink."

"By all means, my boy," he answered, heartily. "Come to my chamber. A
quart of port under your waistcoat will cure a certain bilious desire
in you to see the worst of things, which I have detected lately in
your manner. With grand sport before us, how could you be otherwise
than jolly? Ha, Ha!"

So saying, he affectionately took my arm and led me along the
corridor.

CHAPTER VII

When I reached my own chamber I sank heavily into a chair. My brain
was in a tumult. I had fa