heart almost bursting with
sorrow over myself.

"Cut off at three-and-twenty!" sobbed I; "in the very opening bud of his
promise!"

"Misfortune is a pebble with many facets," says the Chinese adage, "and
wise is he who turns it around till he find the smooth one."

"Is there such here?" thought I. "And where can it be?" With all my
ingenuity I could not discover it, when at last there crossed my mind
how the event would figure in the daily papers, and be handed down to
remote posterity. I imagined the combat itself described in the language
almost of a lion-hunt "Potts, who had never till that moment had a sword
in his hand,--Potts, though at this time severely wounded, and
bleeding profusely, nothing dismayed by the ferocious attack of his
opponent,--Potts maintained his guard with all the coolness of a
consummate swordsman." How I wished my life might be spared just to let
me write the narrative of the combat I would like, besides, to show the
world how generously I could treat an adversary, with what delicacy I
could respect his motives, and how nobly deal even with his injustice.

"Was that two o'clock?" said I, starting up, while the humming sound of
the gong bell filled the room. "Is it possible that but three hours now
stand between me and--" I gave a shudder that made me feel as if I was
standing in a fearful thorough draught, and actually looked up to see if
the window were not open; but no, it was closed, the night calm, and the
sky full of stars. "Oh!" exclaimed I, "if there are Pottses up amongst
you yonder, I hope destiny may deal more kindly by them than down here.
I trust that in those glorious regions a higher and purer intelligence
prevails, and, above all things, that duelling is proclaimed the
greatest of crimes." Remnant of barbarism! it is worse ten thousand
times; it is the whole suit, costume, and investure of an uncivilized
age. "Poor Potts!" said I; "you went out upon your life-voyage with very
generous intentions towards posterity. I wonder how it will treat
_you?_ Will it vindicate your memory, uphold your fame, and dignify your
motives? Will it be said in history, 'Amongst the memorable events of
the period was the duel between the Prince Max of Swabia and an Irish
gentleman named Potts. To understand fully the circumstance of this
remarkable conflict, it is necessary to premise that Potts was not what
is vulgarly called constitutionally brave; but he was more. He was--'?
Ah! there was t