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on her mistress, and fearing to be seen at that early hour, I ended my apostrophe abruptly, and rushed into the obscurity of the neighbouring shrubs.

A few moments' exertion freed me from the thicket in which I had ensconced myself, and placed me in a path which, winding among their shady recesses in a circuitous direction, finally emerged near the end of the avenue that led from the Hall to the high-road. As I approached its termination, the appearance of Armitage, hastily advancing with a small mahogany case under his arm, told me that it was time to repair to the place of our appointment. I joined him immediately, and we proceeded forthwith towards the scene of rendezvous.

As we walked along with quick undeviating footsteps, the good-natured lieutenant enquired more particularly into the cause of quarrel, hinting at the pleasure it would give him should the matter admit of such an explanation as might allow the affair to be accommodated without prejudice to the feelings or character of either party. This I felt to be impossible, but contented myself with telling the worthy fellow that he was nearly as well acquainted with the real grounds of the dispute as myself; that I merely obeyed the summons of a gentleman, who, as I verily believed, was visiting on my head the aggression of another; but that, as my endeavours to convince him of his mistake had been in vain, we must abide by the decision to which he thought it necessary to appeal. This account increased the desire, which the lieutenant had from the first entertained, of terminating the business without bringing it to the issue of mortal arbitrement; and he entreated me to permit him, previously to any thing else taking place, to use his endeavours to procure an amicable adjustment of a difference, which, after all, as he observed, had evidently originated in mistake.

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not be satisfied without burning a little gunpowder."

"Is he so determined an enemy? Pray, what sort of a person is your antagonist?

"Upon my word, that is rather a puzzling question, as I am not sure that I ever set eyes upon him in my life. He holds a commission in the dragoons, and that is all I can tell you, being almost all I know of him myself."

"It is altogether a very extraordinary affair,' returned Armitage. "You shall not fight, however, if I can prevent it; but stay, here is the old chapel, and yonder, if I mistake not, come our men."

He was right; a few seconds brought us together; Captain Maberly and his friend advanced from an adjoining field, the latter wrapped up in a large surtout, which he unfolded as we drew near, and revealed the person of my fellow-passenger on the mail, whom I had pulled out of the river two days before. I cannot say that I was altogether unprepared for this recognition; the possibility of it had more than once occurred to my mind since Maberly's visit, and the supposition had acquired additional weight from some passages in his letter, which I found it otherwise difficult to comprehend; still I had some doubts on the subject, as I could scarcely believe it possible that the most sanguinary of mankind would, whatever his primary intentions might have been, persist in raising his hand to deprive that man of life who had so recently preserved his own, and that too in a quarrel in which he could feel but little personal interest-but little interest? A thought flashed upon my mind with the rapidity of lightning, and dissipated in an instant the reluctance I had hitherto felt to commence hostilities. Amelia Staffordfor her he had come to contend, and her he was determined to possess, though the removal of so formidable an obstacle as myself, by any means, was a necessary preliminary. She was the object of his, perhaps mercenary, attachment, whom he had rescued from a plot contrived, in all probability, by himself, and which my death was indispensable to conceal from eventual detection! This indeed presented a ready solution

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to the mystery; as the champion of her cause, and the avenger of her injuries, he would stand on a proud eminence, and challenge her love with a powerful, perhaps irresistible, claim; while in my destruction he would not only lay the foundation of his hopes, but obtain the removal of a rival, doubly dangerous from the well-known wishes of her father in my favour, and the power I must inevitably possess of unmasking him to Lord Manningham, a single interview with whom might be sufficient to level with the dust the flimsy superstructure which his arts had raised. That the whole personation of myself, the elopement, and pretended rescue, were but parts of a systematic and villanous plot, of which my destruction was to furnish the dénouement, I no longer entertained a doubt, and the indignation this conviction gave rise to in my mind, operated so strongly upon me, that it was with the utmost difficulty I could restrain my impatience, while our seconds were arranging the necessary preliminaries. I burned to chastise the villany I fancied I had detected, and to inflict a severe retribution for my defeated pretensions and vilified character.

While Armitage and Maberly, who had retired a few paces apart, were preparing the weapons, and conferring on the business which had brought us together, Captain Fortescue remained at a short distance from me, leaning against a tree. His face was pale, almost livid, his air abstracted, and he appeared to be labouring under the deepest dejection. He had raised his hat to me when we first met, and seemed as if wishing to address me, but, enraged at his ingratitude and hypocrisy, I shewed no corresponding inclination, and he accordingly renounced his intention, if indeed he had entertained it. His eyes were now fixed

I

upon the ground, his arms folded across his breast, which heaved high at intervals, as if from the effect of some strong internal emotion. turned from gazing on him to watch the motions of our two "friends"so they call the people who load the pistols that are to blow your brains out-who were now deeply engaged in conversation. In a few moments Maberly quitted his companion, and, rejoining Fortescue, made a communication to him; a short but animated discussion took place between them, at the close of which Maberly returned to my "friend," who, after listening to him for a few moments, stepped up to me and informed me that he was the bearer of a proposal from Captain Fortescue, who, from the great reluctance which he felt to proceed against one from whom he had recently received so great an obligation, was prepared, he said, to drop the dispute, and consent to sink the past in oblivion, provided I would offer such an apology to Miss Stafford as he should feel warranted in recommending her to accept.

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"Tell Captain Fortescue," I exclaimed, half-choked with passion, that the most ample concessions he could offer me would now be insufficient to appease the sense of injury which I feel, or avert the vengeance I am determined to exact. Let him take his ground!"

Armitage retired in silence, and proceeded to measure out twelve paces, at either extremity of which my antagonist and myself took our stations; the weapons were delivered to us, and Maberly having given the signal by dropping his handkerchief, each discharged his pistol at the same instant. Fortescue's aim was but too correct; his ball struck me, and I fell; the blood flowed copiously from my breast, and in a few moments I became totally insensible to all that was passing around me.

Noctes Ambrosianae.

No. LXVI.

ΧΡΗ ΔΕΝ ΣΥΜΠΟΣΙΩ ΚΥΛΙΚΩΝ ΠΕΡΙΝΙΣΣΟΜΕΝΑΩΝ
ΑΚΩ ΔΕΗΤΙΛΛΟΝΤΑ ΚΑΘΗΜΕΝΟΝ ΟΙΝΟΠΟΤΑΖΕΙΝ.

Σ.

PHOC. ap. Ath.

[This is a distich by wise old Phocylides,

An ancient who wrote crabbed Greek in no silly days ;

Meaning," "TIs Right For GOOD WINEBIBBING people,
NOT TO LET THE JUG PACE ROUND THE BOARD LIKE A CRIPPLE;
BUT GAILY TO CHAT WHILE DISCUSSING THEIR TIPPLE."

An excellent rule of the hearty old cock 'tis—

And a very fit motto to put to our Noctes.]

C. N. ap. Ambr.

Scene-The Leads of the Lodge-Present, NORTH, TICKLER, the SHEpherd, BULLER. Time-Evening.

SHEPHERD.

This fancy beats a', and pruves o' itsell, sir, that you're a poet. In fine weather, leevin' on the leeds! And siccan an awnin'! No a threed o' cotton about it, or linnen either, but dome, wa's, cornishes, and fringes—a' silk. Oh! but she's a tastefu' cretur that Mrs Gentle-for I see the touch o' her haun in the hangins, the festoonins, the droopins o' the draperies— and it's a sair pity that ye twa, who are seen to be but ae speerit, are na likewise ae flesh. Pardon the allusion, Mr North, but you'll never be perfectly happy till she bears your name, or aiblins you'll tak' hers, my dear auld sir, and ca' yoursells Mr and Mrs North Gentle; or gin you like better to gie hers the precedence, Mr and Mrs Gentle Christopher North. But either o' the twa would be characteristic and euphonous-for you're humane, sir, by nature, though by habit rather savage, and a' you want to saften you back into your original constitution is to be a husband

And a father.

TICKLER.

SHEPHERD.

As likely to be that as yoursell, Mr Tickler, and likelier too; and a' the warld would admire to see a bit canty callant or yelegant lassie trotting at his knee

TICKLER.

"With all its mother's tenderness,

And all its father's fire!"

NORTH.

James, is it not a beautiful panorama ?

SHEPHERD.

A panorama! What? wad you wush to hae a panorama o' weans ?

I mean the prospect, James.

NORTH.

SHEPHERD.

A prospect o' a panorama o' weans!

NORTH.

Poo-poo-my dear Shepherd-you wilfully misapprehend my meaning -look round you over land and sea!

SHEPHERD.

I canna look farrer than the leeds. Oh! but it's a beautiful Conserva

tory! I never afore saw an Orange-tree. And it's true what I hae read o' them-blossom and fruit on the same plant-nae doot an evergreenand in this caulder clime o' ours bricht wi' its gowden ba's as if we were in the Wast Indies!-What ca' ye thir?

These are mere myrtles.

NORTH.

SHEPHERD.

Mere myrtles! Dinna say that again o' them-mere; an ungratefu' word, o' a flowery plant a' fu' o' bonny white starnies-and is that their scent that I smell?

NORTH.

The balm is from many breaths, my dear James. Nothing that grows is without fragrance

SHEPHERD.

Hooever fent. I fand that out when a toddler-for I used to fling awa' or drap whatever I pu'd that I thocht had nae smell-till ae day I began till suspect that the faute might lie in my ain nose, and no in the buds or leaves and frae a thoosan' sma' experiments I was glad to learn it was sae—and that there was a scent-as ye weel said the noo-in a' that grows. Wasna that kind in Nature! Hoo else could that real poet Tamson hae said, "the air is bawm !"

TICKLER.

I desiderate the smell of dinner.

SHEPHERD.

What'n a sensual sentiment! The smell o' vittals is delicious whan the denner's gettin' dished, and during the time o' eatin', but for an hour or mair after the cloth has been drawn, the room to ma nose has aye a close het smell, like that o' ingons. It's no the custom o' the kintra to leave wi' the leddies-but nae drawin'-room like the leeds.-What'n frutes!

Help yourself, James.

NORTH.

SHEPHERD.

I'll thank ye, Mr Tickler, to rax me owre thae oranges.

TICKLER.

They are suspiciously dark in the colour-but perhaps you like the bitter?

SHEPHERD.

They're nae mair ceevil than yoursell-but genuine St Michaelers-and as they're but sma', half-a-dizzen o' them will sharpen the pallet for some o' thae American aipples that never put ane's teeth on edge-which is mair than you can say for Scotch anes, that are noo seldom sweeter than scribes.

Scribes ?

BULLER.

SHEPHERD.

Crabs. Mr North, we maun tak' tent what we're about, for it wou'd na answer weel to stoiter owre the edge o' the leeds; nor yet to tummle down the trapdoor-stairs.

NORTH.

The companion-ladder, if you please, James.

SHEPHERD.

Companion-ladder? I suppose because only ae person can climb up at a time-though there's room eneuch, that's true, for severals to fa' doon at ance-but the term's nowtical, I ken-and you're a desperate cretur for thinkin' o' the sea.

NORTH.

Would that Tom Cringle were here-the best sketcher of sea-scenery that ever held a pen!

And painter too, sir.

BULLER.

SHEPHERD.

I ken little mair, or aiblins less o' ships than Tam Cringle kens o' sheep -but in his pages I see them sailin' alang

In calm, breeze, gale, or storm

NORTH.

SHEPHERD.

Dinna tak the words oot o' ma mouth, sir-in his pages I see them sailin alang in cawm, breeze, gale, or storm, as plain as if I was lookin' at them frae the shore, or

TICKLER.

Scudding under bare poles like you and I, James, without our wigs.

SHEPHERD.

Naething's mair intolerable to me than a constant attempp at wut. Besides, wha ever was seen—either men or ships-skuddin' under bare poles in a cawm?

TICKLER.

Or sailin'-James-in a cawm-as you said just now.

SHEPHERD.

But I didna say a deed cawm; an' gin I had, does na the wund often drap a' at ance, and a' at ance get up again-and wasna the ship lying waitin' for the wun' wi' a' sail set—or maybe motion still in her ? And therefore nane but an ignorawmus in nowticals woud objeck to a Shepherd, wha is nae sailor, speakin' o' a ship sailing in a cawm. Are ye satisfied?

NORTH.

My friend Marryatt finds fault with Tom Cringle for being too melodramatic.

TICKLER.

His volumes are indeed a mellow dram in two calkers.

SHEPHERD.

Faith, for a pun, that's no sae very far amiss; and in a few years, frae playin' on words, I shudna be surprised to see you, sir, gettin' grupp o' an idea.

BULLER.

My friend Fonblanque characterised Captain Cringle truly by three words in the Examiner-the Salvator Rosa of the Sea.

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Marryatt missed to remember that while he was penning his critique. Strike all the poetry out of Tom's prose

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NORTH.

And Marryatt would have been right, Read his prose by the light of the poetry that illumines it, and Marryatt is wrong.

Wha's he, that Marryatt?

SHEPHERD.

NORTH.

A captain in the navy, and an honour to it-an admirable sailor, and an admirable writer-and would that he too were with us on the leads, my lads, for a pleasanter fellow, to those who know him, never enlivened the social board.

SHEPHERD.

I like the words you slipped in there, sir, wi' a marked vice, like italics in prent" to those who know him"-for them that's gotten the character o' bein' pleasant fallows on a' occasions, and to a' men, are seldom sound at the core-and oh! but they grow wearisome on ane's hauns when ane's no in the humour for diversion or daffin', but wish to be quate.

NORTH.

Right, James. I have no conceit of them "who are all things to all men." Why, I have seen John Schetky himself in the sulks with sumphs, though he is more tolerant of ninnies and noodles than almost any other man of genius I have ever known,-but clap him down among a choice crew of

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