diary, lost the season of delight, they would still find plenty of
sport in deer-shooting. Accordingly, the day was set a second time for
their departure; and, on the day preceding that, all the party were
invited by George to dine with him once more at the sign of the Black
Bull of Norway. Everyone promised to attend, anticipating nothing but
festivity and joy. Alas, what short-sighted improvident creatures we
are, all of us; and how often does the evening cup of joy lead to
sorrow in the morning!

The day arrived--the party of young noblemen and gentlemen met, and
were as happy and jovial as men could be. George was never seen so
brilliant, or so full of spirits; and exulting to see so many gallant
young chiefs and gentlemen about him, who all gloried in the same
principles of loyalty (perhaps this word should have been written
disloyalty), he made speeches, gave toasts, and sung songs, all leaning
slyly to the same side, until a very late hour. By that time he had
pushed the bottle so long and so freely that its fumes had taken
possession of every brain to such a degree that they held Dame Reason
rather at the staff's end, overbearing all her counsels and
expostulations; and it was imprudently proposed by a wild inebriated
spark, and carried by a majority of voices, that the whole party should
adjourn to a bagnio for the remainder of the night.

They did so; and it appears from what follows that the house, to which
they retired must have been somewhere on the opposite side of the
street to the Black Bull Inn, a little farther to the eastward. They
had not been an hour in that house till some altercation chanced to
arise between George Colwan and a Mr. Drummond, the younger son of a
nobleman of distinction. It was perfectly casual, and no one
thenceforward, to this day, could ever tell what it was about, if it
was not about the misunderstanding of some word or term that the one
had uttered. However it was, some high words passed between them; these
were followed by threats, and, in less than two minutes from the
commencement of the quarrel, Drummond left the house in apparent
displeasure, hinting to the other that they two should settle that in a
more convenient place.

The company looked at one another, for all was over before any of them
knew such a thing was begun. "What the devil is the matter?" cried one.
"What ails Drummond?" cried another. "Who has he quarrelled with?"
asked a third.

"Don't know."--"Can't