n a friendly manner.

"Where are you going? Come with me, unless you are going to deliver some
captive. Come along, we shall have a pleasant party."

"I can't come, my dear fellow, let me go."

"What's the matter? I hardly recognized you, you looked so solemn."

"Nothing is the matter."

"Nothing? You should look at your face in the glass. Now I feel quite
sure that you are going to commit a foolish action."

"Not at all."

"It's no good denying it."

"I tell you there's nothing the matter with me. Good bye, I shall see you
again."

"It's no good, I won't leave you. Come along, we will walk together."

His eyes happening to fall on my breeches pocket, he noticed my pistol,
and putting his hand on the other pocket he felt the other pistol, and
said,--

"You are going to fight a duel; I should like to see it. I won't
interfere with the affair, but neither will I leave you."

I tried to put on a smile, and assured him that he was mistaken, and that
I was only going for a walk to pass the time.

"Very good," said Edgar, "then I hope my society is as pleasant to you as
yours is to me; I won't leave you. After we have taken a walk we will go
and dine at the 'Canon.' I will get two girls to come and join us, and we
shall have a gay little party of four."

"My dear friend, you must excuse me; I am in a melancholy mood, and I
want to be alone to get over it."

"You can be alone to-morrow, if you like, but I am sure you will be all
right in the next three hours, and if not, why I will share your madness.
Where did you think of dining?"

"Nowhere; I have no appetite. I have been fasting for the last three
days, and I can only drink."

"Ah! I begin to see daylight. Something has crossed you, and you are
going to let it kill you as it killed one of my brothers. I must see what
can be done."

Edgar argued, insisted, and joked till at last I said to myself, "A day
longer will not matter, I can do the deed when he leaves me, and I shall
only have to bear with life a few hours longer."

When Edgar heard that I had no particular object in crossing the bridge
he said that we had better turn back, and I let myself be persuaded; but
in half an hour I begged him to take me somewhere where I could wait for
him, as I could not bear the weight of the lead any longer. I gave him my
word of honour that I would meet him at the "Canon."

As soon as I was alone I emptied my pockets, and put the leaden balls
into a cupboard.