neglected mansion.

Arundel Dacre retired when he had seen his friend home, but gave urgent
commands that he should be kept quiet. No sooner was the second out
of sight than the principal ordered the room to be cleared, with the
exception of Spiridion, and then, rising in his bed, wrote this note,
which the page was secretly to deliver.

'----House, ----, 182-.

'Dear Miss Dacre,

'A very unimportant but somewhat disagreeable incident has occurred.
I have been obliged to meet Sir Lucius Grafton, and our meeting has
fortunately terminated without any serious consequences. Yet I wish that
you should hear of this first from me, lest you might imagine that I had
not redeemed my pledge of last night, and that I had placed for a moment
my own feelings in competition with yours. This is not the case, and
never shall be, dear Miss Dacre, with one whose greatest pride is to
subscribe himself

'Your most obedient and faithful servant,

'St. James.'

CHAPTER XIII.

_A Mind Distraught_

THE world talked of nothing but the duel between the Duke of St. James
and Sir Lucius Grafton.

It was a thunderbolt; and the phenomenon was accounted for by every
cause but the right one. Yet even those who most confidently solved the
riddle were the most eagerly employed in investigating its true meaning.
The seconds were of course applied to. Arundel Dacre was proverbially
unpumpable; but Peacock Piggott, whose communicative temper was an
adage, how came he on a sudden so diplomatic? Not a syllable oozed from
a mouth which was ever open; not a hint from a countenance which never
could conceal its mind. He was not even mysterious, but really looked
just as astonished and was just as curious as themselves. Fine times
these for 'The Universe' and 'The New World!' All came out about Lady
Afy; and they made up for their long and previous ignorance, or, as they
now boldly blustered, their long and considerate forbearance. Sheets
given away gratis, edition on Saturday night for the country, and
woodcuts of the Pavilion fete: the when, the how, and the wherefore.
A. The summer-house, and Lady Aphrodite meeting the young Duke. B.
The hedge behind which Sir Lucius Grafton was concealed. C. Kensington
Gardens, and a cloudy morning; and so on. Cruikshank did wonders.

But let us endeavour to ascertain the feelings of the principal agents
in this odd affair. Sir Lucius now was cool, and, the mischief being
done, took a calm review o