bring it I higher up on his chest. He staggered
back, after receiving it, about seven or eight yards, but did not fall.
His eye literally blazed, and for a moment he seemed disposed to act!
under the strong impulse of self-defence. The solemnity of his promise
to Ellen, however, recurred to him in time to restrain his uplifted
arm. By a strong and sudden effort he endeavored to compose himself, and
succeeded. He approached Meehaul, and with as much calmness as he could
assume, said--

"Meehaul, I stand before you an' you may strike, but I won't return your
blows: I have reasons for it, but I tell you the truth."

"You won't fight?" said Meehaul, with mingled rage and scorn.

"No," replied the other, "I won't fight you."

A murmur of "shame" and "coward" was heard from those who had been drawn
together by their quarrel.

"_Dher ma chorp_," they exclaimed with astonishment, "but Lamh Laudher's
afeard of him!--the _garran bane's_ in him, now that he finds he has met
his match."

"Why, hard fortune to you, Lamh Laudher, will you take a blow from a
Neil? Are you goin' to disgrace your name?"

"I won't fight him," replied he to whom they spoke, and the uncertainty
of his manner was taken for want of courage.

"Then," said Meehaul, "here, before witnesses, I give you the coward,
that you may carry the name to the last hour of your life."

He inflicted, when uttering the words, a blow with his open hand on Lamh
Laudher's cheek, after which he desired the spectators to bear witness
to what he had done. The whole crowd was mute with astonishment, not a
murmur more was heard; but they looked upon the two rival champions, and
then upon each other with amazement. The high-minded young man had but
one course to pursue. Let the consequence be what it might, he could
not think for a moment of compromising the character of Ellen, nor
of violating his promise, so solemnly given; with a flushed cheek,
therefore, and a brow redder even with shame than indignation, he left
the crowd without speaking' a word, for he feared that by indulging in
any further recrimination on the subject, his resolution might give way
under the impetuous resentment which he curbed in with such difficulty.

Meehaul Neil paused and looked after him, equally struck with surprise
and contempt at his apparent want of spirit.

"Well," he exclaimed to those who stood about him, "by the life within
me, if all the parish had sworn that Lamh Laudher Oge was a