第10章

andItoldO’ConnorthatuponsecondthoughtsIwouldridedownwithhimtothetown，andwaituponMr。Fitzgerald。

Wefoundhimathome；andchattedwithhimforaconsiderabletime。Tomysurprisehismannerswereperfectlythoseofagentleman，andhisconversation，ifnotpeculiarlyengaging，wascertainlyamusing。Thepolitenessofhisdemeanour，andtheeasyfluencywithwhichhetoldhisstoriesandhisanecdotes，manyofthemcurious，andallmoreorlessentertaining，accountedtomymindatonceforthefacilitywithwhichhehadimprovedhisacquaintancewithO’Connor；andwhenhepresseduponusaninvitationtosupwithhimthatnight，IhadalmostjoinedO’Connorinacceptingit。Idetermined，however，againstdoingso，forI

hadnowishtobeontermsoffamiliaritywithMr。Fitzgerald；andIknewthatoneeveningspenttogetherasheproposedwouldgofurthertowardsestablishinganintimacybetweenusthanfiftymorningvisitscoulddo。WhenIarosetodepart，itwaswithfeelingsalmostfavourabletoFitzgerald；indeedIwasmorethanhalfashamedtoacknowledgetomycompanionhowcompletearevolutioninmyopinionrespectinghisfriendhalfanhour’sconversationwithhimhadwrought。HisappearancecertainlyWASagainsthim；butthen，undertheinfluenceofhismanner，onelostsightofmuchofitsungainliness，andofnearlyallitsvulgarity；and，onthewhole，Ifeltconvincedthatreporthaddonehimgrievouswrong，inasmuchasanybody，byanobservanceofthecommoncourtesiesofsociety，mighteasilyavoidcomingintopersonalcollisionwithagentlemansostudiouslypoliteasFitzgerald。Atparting，O’Connorrequestedmetocalluponhimthenextday，asheintendedtomaketrialofthemeritsofapairofgreyhounds，whichhehadthoughtsofpurchasing；adding，thatifhecouldescapeinanythingliketolerabletimefromFitzgerald’ssupper-party，hewouldtakethefieldsoonaftertenonthenextmorning。Attheappointedhour，orperhapsalittlelater，IdismountedatCastleConnor；and，onenteringthehall，IobservedagentlemanissuingfromO’Connor’sprivateroom。Irecognisedhim，asheapproached，asaMr。

M’Donough，and，beingbutslightlyacquaintedwithhim，wasabouttopasshimwithabow，whenhestoppedme。

Therewassomethinginhismannerwhichstruckmeasodd；heseemedagooddealflurriedifnotagitated，andsaid，inahurriedtone：

’Thisisaveryfoolishbusiness，Mr。

Purcell。YouhavesomeinfluencewithmyfriendO’Connor；Ihopeyoucaninducehimtoadoptsomemoremoderatelineofconductthanthathehasdecidedupon。Ifyouwillallowme，Iwillreturnforamomentwithyou，andtalkoverthematteragainwithO’Connor。’

AsM’Donoughutteredthesewords，I

feltthatsuddensinkingoftheheartwhichaccompaniestheimmediateanticipationofsomethingdreadedanddreadful。IwasinstantlyconvincedthatO’ConnorhadquarrelledwithFitzgerald，andIknewthatifsuchwerethecase，nothingshortofamiraclecouldextricatehimfromtheconsequences。IsignedtoM’Donoughtoleadtheway，andweenteredthelittlestudytogether。O’Connorwasstandingwithhisbacktothefire；onthetablelaythebreakfast-thingsinthedisorderinwhichahurriedmealhadleftthem；andonanothersmallertable，placednearthehearth，laypen，ink，andpaper。AssoonasO’Connorsawme，hecameforwardandshookmecordiallybythehand。

’MydearPurcell，’saidhe，’youaretheverymanIwanted。Ihavegotintoanuglyscrape，andItrusttomyfriendstogetmeoutofit。’

’Youhavehadnodisputewiththatman——thatFitzgerald，Ihope，’saidI，givingutterancetotheconjecturewhosetruthImostdreaded。

’Faith，Icannotsayexactlywhatpassedbetweenus，’saidhe，’inasmuchasIwasatthetimenearlyhalfseasover；butofthismuchIamcertain，thatweexchangedangrywordslastnight。I

lostmytempermostconfoundedly；but，aswellasIcanrecollect，heappearedperfectlycoolandcollected。Whathesaidwas，therefore，deliberatelysaid，andonthataccountmustberesented。’

’MydearO’Connor，areyoumad？’I

exclaimed。’Whywillyouseektodrivetoadeadlyissueafewhastywords，utteredundertheinfluenceofwine，andforgottenalmostassoonasuttered？A

quarrelwithFitzgeralditistwentychancestoonewouldterminatefatallytoyou。’

’ItisexactlybecauseFitzgeraldISsuchanaccomplishedshot，’saidhe，’thatI

becomeliabletothemostinjuriousandintolerablesuspicionsifIsubmittoanythingfromhimwhichcouldbeconstruedintoanaffront；andforthatreasonFitzgeraldistheverylastmantowhomI

wouldconcedeaninchinacaseofhonour。’

’Idonotrequireyoutomakeany，theslightestsacrificeofwhatyoutermyourhonour，’Ireplied；’butifyouhaveactuallywrittenachallengetoFitzgerald，asIsuspectyouhavedone，Iconjureyoutoreconsiderthematterbeforeyoudespatchit。FromallthatIhaveheardyousay，Fitzgeraldhasmoretocomplainofinthealtercationwhichhastakenplacethanyou。Youoweittoyouronlysurvivingparentnottothrustyourselfthuswantonlyupon——Iwillsayit，themostappallingdanger。Nobody，mydearO’Connor，canhaveadoubtofyourcourage；andifatanytime，whichGodforbid，youshallbecalleduponthustoriskyourlife，youshouldhaveitinyourpowertoenterthefieldundertheconsciousnessthatyouhaveactedthroughouttemperatelyandlikeaman，andnot，asI

fearyounowwoulddo，havingrashlyandmostcauselesslyendangeredyourownlifeandthatofyourfriend。’

’Ibelieve，Purcell，yourareright，’saidhe。’IbelieveIHAVEviewedthematterintoodecidedalight；mynote，Ithink，scarcelyallowshimanhonourablealternative，andthatiscertainlygoingasteptoofar——furtherthanIintended。Mr。

M’Donough，I’llthankyoutohandmethenote。’

Hebroketheseal，and，castinghiseyehastilyoverit，hecontinued：

’Itis，indeed，amonumentoffolly。I

amveryglad，Purcell，youhappenedtocomein，otherwiseitwouldhavereacheditsdestinationbythistime。’

Hethrewitintothefire；and，afteramoment’spause，resumed：

’Youmustnotmistakeme，however。

Iamperfectlysatisfiedastothepropriety，nay，thenecessity，ofcommunicatingwithFitzgerald。ThedifficultyisinwhattoneIshouldaddresshim。Icannotsaythatthemandirectlyaffrontedme——IcannotrecollectanyoneexpressionwhichIcouldlayholduponasoffensive——buthislanguagewasambiguous，andadmittedfrequentlyofthemostinsultingconstruction，andhismannerthroughoutwasinsupportablydomineering。IknowitimpressedmewiththeideathathepresumeduponhisreputationasaDEADSHOT，andthatwouldbeutterlyunendurable’

’Iwouldnowrecommend，asIhavealreadydone，’saidM’Donough，’thatifyouwritetoFitzgerald，itshouldbeinsuchastrainastoleavehimatperfectliberty，withoutacompromiseofhonour，inafriendlyway，tosatisfyyourdoubtsastohisconduct。’

Isecondedtheproposalwarmly，andO’Connor，inafewminutes，finishedanote，whichhedesiredustoread。Itwastothiseffect：

’O’Connor，ofCastleConnor，feelingthatsomeexpressionsemployedbyMr。

Fitzgeralduponlastnight，admittedofaconstructionoffensivetohim，andinjurioustohischaracter，requeststoknowwhetherMr。Fitzgeraldintendedtoconveysuchameaning。

’CastleConnor，Thursdaymorning。’

ThisnotewasconsignedtothecareofMr。M’Donough，whoforthwithdepartedtoexecutehismission。Thesoundofhishorse’shoofs，asheroderapidlyaway，struckheavilyatmyheart；butIfoundsomesatisfactioninthereflectionthatM’DonoughappearedasaversefromextrememeasuresasIwasmyself，forI

wellknew，withrespecttothefinalresultoftheaffair，thatasmuchdependeduponthetoneadoptedbytheSECOND，asuponthenatureofthewrittencommunication。

Ihaveseldompassedamoreanxioushourthanthatwhichintervenedbetweenthedepartureandthereturnofthatgentleman。EveryinstantIimaginedIheardthetrampofahorseapproaching，andeverytimethatadooropenedIfancieditwastogiveentrancetotheeagerlyexpectedcourier。AtlengthIdidhearthehollowandrapidtreadofahorse’shoofupontheavenue。Itapproached——itstopped——ahurriedsteptraversedthehall——theroomdooropened，andM’Donoughentered。

’Youhavemadegreathaste，’saidO’Connor；’didyoufindhimathome？’

’Idid，’repliedM’Donough，’andmadethegreaterhasteasFitzgeralddidnotletmeknowthecontentsofhisreply。’

AtthesametimehehandedanotetoO’Connor，whoinstantlybroketheseal。

Thewordswereasfollow：

’Mr。FitzgeraldregretsthatanythingwhichhasfallenfromhimshouldhaveappearedtoMr。O’Connortobeintendedtoconveyareflectionuponhishonour(nonesuchhavingbeenmeant)，andbegsleavetodisavowanywishtoquarrelunnecessarilywithMr。O’Connor。

’T——Inn，Thursdaymorning。’

IcannotdescribehowmuchIfeltrelievedonreadingtheabovecommunication。

ItookO’Connor’shandandpresseditwarmly，butmyemotionsweredeeperandstrongerthanIcaredtoshow，forI

wasconvincedthathehadescapedamostimminentdanger。Nobodywhosenotionsuponthesubjectarederivedfromtheduellingofmoderntimes，inwhichmattersareconductedwithoutanyverysanguinarydeterminationuponeitherside，andwithequalwantofskillandcoolnessbybothparties，canformajustestimateofthedangerincurredbyonewhoventuredtoencounteraduellistoftheoldschool。

Perfectcoolnessinthefield，andasteadinessandaccuracy(whichtotheunpractisedappearedalmostmiraculous)intheuseofthepistol，formedthecharacteristicsofthisclass；andinadditiontothistheregenerallyexistedakindofprofessionalpride，whichpromptedtheduellist，indefaultofanymoremalignantfeeling，frommotivesofmerevanity，toseekthelifeofhisantagonist。Fitzgerald’scareerhadbeenaremarkablysuccessfulone，andIknewthatoutofthirteenduelswhichhehadfoughtinIreland，inninecaseshehadKILLEDhisman。Inthosedaysoneneverheardofthepartiesleavingthefield，asnotunfrequentlynowoccurs，withoutbloodhavingbeenspilt；andtheoddswere，ofcourse，inallcasestremendouslyagainstayoungandunpractisedman，whenmatchedwithanexperiencedantagonist。Myimpressionrespectingthemagnitudeofthedangerwhichmyfriendhadincurredwasthereforebynomeansunwarranted。

InowquestionedO’ConnormoreaccuratelyrespectingthecircumstancesofhisquarrelwithFitzgerald。Itarosefromsomedisputerespectingtheapplicationofaruleofpiquet，atwhichgametheyhadbeenplaying，eachinterpretingitfavourablytohimself，andO’Connor，havinglostconsiderably，wasinnomoodtoconductanargumentwithtemper——analtercationensued，andthatofratherapungentnature，andtheresultwasthatheleftFitzgerald’sroomratherabruptly，determinedtodemandanexplanationinthemostperemptorytone。ForthispurposehehadsentforM’Donough，andhadcommissionedhimtodeliverthenote，whichmyarrivalhadfortunatelyintercepted。

Asitwasnowpastnoon，O’Connormademepromisetoremainwithhimtodinner；andwesatdownapartyofthree，allinhighspiritsattheterminationofouranxieties。Itisnecessarytomention，forthepurposeofaccountingforwhatfollows，thatMrs。O’Connor，or，asshewasmoreeuphoniouslystyled，theladyofCastleConnor，wasprecludedbyill-healthfromtakingherplaceatthedinner-table，and，indeed，seldomleftherroombeforefouro’clock。[4]Weweresittingafterdinnersippingourclaret，andtalking，andlaughing，andenjoyingourselvesexceedingly，whenaservant，steppingintotheroom，informedhismasterthatagentlemanwantedtospeakwithhim。

[4]Itisscarcelynecessarytoremindthereader，thatattheperiodspokenof，theimportanthourofdinneroccurredverynearlyatnoon。

’Requesthim，withmycompliments，towalkin，’saidO’Connor；andinafewmomentsagentlemanenteredtheroom。

Hisappearancewasanythingbutprepossessing。Hewasalittleabovethemiddlesize，spare，andraw-boned；hisfaceveryred，hisfeaturessharpandbluish，andhisagemightbeaboutsixty。HisattiresavouredagooddealoftheSHABBY-

GENTEEL；hisclothes，whichhadmuchoftarnishedandfadedpretensionaboutthem，didnotfithim，andhadnotimprobablyflutteredinthestallsofPlunketStreet。Wehadrisenonhisentrance，andO’Connorhadtwicerequestedofhimtotakeachairatthetable，withouthishearing，oratleastnoticing，theinvitation；whilewithaslowpace，andwithanairofmingledimportanceandeffrontery，headvancedintothecentreoftheapartment，andregardingoursmallpartywithasuperciliousair，hesaid：

’Itakethelibertyofintroducingmyself——IamCaptainM’Creagh，formerlyofthe——infantry。MybusinesshereiswithaMr。O’Connor，andthesooneritisdespatchedthebetter。’