o, after a slight wound given him in the
arm, took away his sword.

There are people who love not your brother, because of his natural
imperiousness and fierce and uncontroulable temper: these say, that
the young gentleman's passion was abated on seeing his blood gush
plentifully down his arm; and that he received the generous offices of
his adversary (who helped him off with his coat and waistcoat, and bound
up his arm, till the surgeon could come,) with such patience, as was far
from making a visit afterwards from that adversary, to inquire after his
health, appear either insulting or improper.

Be this as it may, every body pities you. So steady, so uniform in your
conduct: so desirous, as you always said, of sliding through life to the
end of it unnoted; and, as I may add, not wishing to be observed
even for your silent benevolence; sufficiently happy in the noble
consciousness which attends it: Rather useful than glaring, your
deserved motto; though now, to your regret, pushed into blaze, as I may
say: and yet blamed at home for the faults of others--how must such a
virtue suffer on every hand!--yet it must be allowed, that your present
trial is but proportioned to your prudence.

As all your friends without doors are apprehensive that some other
unhappy event may result from so violent a contention, in which it seems
the families on both sides are now engaged, I must desire you to enable
me, on the authority of your own information, to do you occasional
justice.

My mother, and all of us, like the rest of the world, talk of nobody but
you on this occasion, and of the consequences which may follow from the
resentments of a man of Mr. Lovelace's spirit; who, as he gives out, has
been treated with high indignity by your uncles. My mother will have
it, that you cannot now, with any decency, either see him, or correspond
with him. She is a good deal prepossessed by your uncle Antony; who
occasionally calls upon us, as you know; and, on this rencounter, has
represented to her the crime which it would be in a sister to encourage
a man who is to wade into her favour (this was his expression) through
the blood of her brother.

Write to me therefore, my dear, the whole of your story from the
time that Mr. Lovelace was first introduced into your family; and
particularly an account of all that passed between him and your sister;
about which there are different reports; some people scrupling not to
insinuate that the you