was so
unprovoked, the determination so positive. Have you any reason to
suppose that Colonel Delmar is your enemy, Captain Keene? for certainly
he did appear to me to do all he could at the time of the duel to give
your adversary the advantage."

"I really have no cause to suppose that he has grounds for being my
enemy; but I cannot help suspecting that, for some reason or reasons
unknown, he is so."

When Captain Green had left me, I tried all I could to find out why
Colonel Delmar should be inimical to me. That he was the supposed heir
to Miss Delmar I knew; but surely her leaving me a few thousands was not
sufficient cause for a man to seek my life. Lord de Versely had nothing
to leave; I could come to no conclusion that was at all satisfactory. I
then thought whether I would write to Lord de Versely, and tell him what
had happened; but I decided that I would not. The initials had been put
in the papers at the announcement of the duel, and, had he seen them, he
certainly would have written down to inquire about the facts. My mother
had so done, and I resolved that I would answer her letter, which had
hitherto remained on the table. I sent for my desk, and when my servant
brought it me, the bunch of keys were hanging to the lock. I thought
this strange, as I had locked my desk before I went out to meet Major
Stapleton, and had never sent for it since my return; my servant,
however, could tell me nothing about it, except that he found it as he
brought it to me; but after a little time, he recollected that the
doctor had asked for a pen and ink to write a prescription, and that the
colonel had taken the keys to get him what he required. This accounted
for it, and nothing more was said upon the subject. Of course, although
it was known, no notice was taken of what had passed by the Admiralty.
I had not even put myself down in the sick report, but signed my daily
papers, and sent them into the admiral's office as if nothing had
happened.

In six weeks I was able to limp about a little, and the Circe was at
last reported ready for sea. My orders came down, and I was to sail
with the first fair wind to join the squadron in the Texel and North
Sea. I had taken up my quarters on board, and was waiting two days,
while the wind still blew hard from the eastward, when my promise to
write to Mr Warden occurred to me; and, as I had closed all my
despatches to Lord de Versely--the Honourable Miss Delmar, to whom I