her head, and such a deafness, that she heard nothing. She says,
however, that your conduct was abominable; and in fact, my dear Hinton,
the whole thing is a puzzle to us all.'

'And Lord Dudley de Vere,' said I, 'did he offer no explanation?'

'Oh yes, something pretty much in his usual style; pulled up his stock,
ran his fingers through his hair, and muttered some indistinct phrases
about lovers' quarrels.'

'Capital!' exclaimed I with delight; 'nothing could be better, nothing
more fortunate than this! Now, O'Grady, listen to my version of the
matter, and then tell me how to proceed in it.'

I here detailed to my friend every circumstance that had occurred from
the moment of my entering to my departure from the drawing-room. 'As to
the wager,' said I, 'what it was when made, and with whom, I know not.'

'Yes, yes; I know all that,' interrupted O'Grady; 'I have the whole
thing perfectly before me. Now let us see what is to be done: and first
of all, allow me to ring the bell for some sherry and water--that's the
head and front of a consultation.'

When O'Grady had mixed his glass, sipped, corrected, and sipped again,
he beat the bars of the grate a few moments contemplatively with the
poker, and then turning to me, gravely said: 'We must parade him, Jack,
that's certain. Now for the how. Our friend Dudley is not much given to
fighting, and it will be rather difficult to obtain his consent. Indeed,
if it had not been for the insinuation he threw out, after you had left
the room, I don't well see how you could push him to it.'

'Why, my dear O'Grady, wasn't there quite cause enough?'

'Plenty, no doubt, my dear Jack, as far as feeling goes; but there are
innumerable cases in this life which, like breaches of trust in law,
escape with slight punishment. Not but that, when you owe a man a
grudge, you have it always in your power to make him sensible of it; and
among gentlemen there is the same intuitive perception of a contemplated
collision as you see at a dinner-party, when one fellow puts his hand on
a decanter; his friend at the end of the table smiles, and cries, "With
pleasure my boy!" There is one thing, however, in your favour.'

'What is that?' said I eagerly.

'Why, he has lost his wager; that's pretty clear; and, as that won't
improve his temper, it's possible--mind, I don't say more, but it's
possible he may feel better disposed to turn his irritation into valour;
a much more common process in metaph