called forth emotion. Occasionally she appeared to show ill temper towards me, at others her manner was kinder than I desired, and the pressure of her arm aroused thoughts in me which I sedulously strove to suppress. I thought sometimes that she looked at me with tender languishment; the idea would vanish, and a flirtation with Sir Harry would possess me with a notion that he was her favourite. In fact, she went such lengths with familiarity, that scandal began to whisper, and nothing but Sir Harry's dangling after her sister kept rumour from bursting forth; for society at large concluded that a marriage was actually to take place, although Sir Harry had never put a question on the subject to poor Fanny. That was what she wanted, in order to get rid of him.

vented her from showing

Delicacy of course pre

airs of dislike to a man

whom she could not pretend to say had serious views respecting her. This was deep management in the dandy. He touched the weak side of the mother, and made her believe that he must cure the heart he intended to secure of all former impressions before he ventured to make a proposal. Meanwhile he saw every thing taking the turn he

wished. He had wormed himself round the vanity of Mrs. Arden. She seemed to like his nonsense. He at length thought he had her in a combustible state. Like an engineer, he prepared every thing for an explosion that would effect his purpose, laid his train, and lighted his match: or, rather, like a patient angler, he sat immoveable, till he thought he had the trout on his hook.

"How he attempted to set Mrs. Arden in a blaze I know not. Whether he fell upon his knees, took her by the lily hand, and looked killingly in her sweet face, I cannot say, for I never could persuade her to tell me ; or whether he clasped her in his embrace, and told her he would confer a favour by loving her to all eternity, I can only surmise. I know, however, that he did produce a loud, a thundering explosion. Mrs. Arden was never seen in such a tempest-lightning flashed from her eye-her voice imitated JoveUnhand me, ruffian! is this your love for my sister?' exclaimed she, flying from the apartment, and rushing into the library, where the General and I were discussing the fortune of war that had lost and won the battle of Waterloo. • Had I com

6

manded,' said the General,

I would--I would

I would I would-I would,' and he forgot what

6

he was going to say. Or,' said I, by way of suggestion, to keep up the play of his curiosity, had Grouchy come upon the left

"The word left,' had just escaped from my lips, when Mrs. Arden rushed in like a beautiful Fury-her hair dishevelled, or rather disordered, and the tears flowing down her face, looking like melted sparkling diamonds as they fell on the rich carpet. The General hobbled off his arm-chair, and I started into wonder, upsetting a table covered with books, which stood before us. With open mouths, and uplifted hands, we stared at Mrs. Arden, who could not find utterance for passion, and whose hurried exclamations were for some time quite unintelligible. I shall not pretend to describe how such a beautiful creature made herself understood; but as the General's friend, the moment I heard how she had been insulted, I rushed into the room where Sir Harry had the impudence still to remain, hoping that Mrs. Arden would return in a favourable temper, to meet his renewed embrace; and applying the worst epithet

with which a gentleman should soil his lips to the scoundrel, I kicked him out of the house, telling him that he should have instant satisfaction.

"It would be a waste of time to describe minutely the particulars of our meeting. Sir Harry insisted that we should fire, each holding the end of a pocket handkerchief; but Colonel Freemantle, his friend (I think he was merely his second) objected to it. We were placed eight paces from each other, facing outwards, and, at a given signal, we were to make a half turn, and fire. As I had struck the baronet, I determined upon reserving my fire, although I saw his eye was sanguinary. I assumed also a fierce demeanour, anxious that he should not be at ease with respect to his personal safety. The least I expected, at such bloody distance, was to be wounded. You may judge of my agreeable sensations, when Sir Harry's pistol flashed in the pan. I fired in the air, and certainly considered the business at an end. I assure you I would rather hazard my life in a duel than kill my adversary. Sir Harry was not satisfied without an apology: instead of making one, I repeated the term of reproach I had before used in

speaking of his conduct. I felt bound to do so, because the seconds were of opinion that it should go no farther; and my serious anger was again roused by the bullying assumption of superiority in the baronet, who attributed my mild conduct in the field to fear. We were again placed in hostile array; and as I found that my antagonist was determined to take my life if he could, I made up my mind to wing him. You know I used to hit a shilling's breadth at eight yards, and a half crown's at ten, nineteen times out of twenty. We fired.-Sir Harry's ball entered my neck just above the back part of my cravat, and grooved it quite across, but so slightly, as merely to cause a great flow of blood. He fell on receiving my fire. I had taken the line of his hip-bone: the contents of my Manton struck about an inch above it, and, diverging, passed out near the small of his back. He thought it was all over with him, and he had the generosity to assure me, before he was carried off, that, die or live, he considered my conduct perfectly honourable. Fly not,' said he, squeezing my hand:

if I die, no prosecution shall ever take place; if I live, the General may have a pop at me when he