whole history upon you," added Oakley, with a smile, "I must bid you
good-by, for duty calls,--no longer, it is true, to action in the
field, but to the monotonous routine of barrack ordinances."

Thanking Oakley for his interesting narrative, I gave him my address,
and begged him to visit me. This he promised to do, and we parted.
Three days later he called upon me; I kept him to dine with me at my
lodgings, and had reason, during an evening of most agreeable
conversation, to be more than ever pleased with the tone of his mind
and tenor of his discourse. The unthinking rake of former days must
have learned and reflected much during his period of adversity and
soldiering, to convert himself into the intelligent, well-informed,
and unaffected man he had now become. One thing that struck me in him,
however, was an occasional absence of mind and proneness to reverie.
If there was a short pause in the conversation, his thoughts seemed
to wander far away; and at times an expression of perplexed
uneasiness, if not of care, came over his countenance. I had only to
address him, however, to dissipate these clouds, whencesoever they
came, and to recall his usual animated readiness of manner.

A fortnight now elapsed without my again seeing him. I was to return
to England in a couple of days, and was busy one evening writing
letters and making preparations for departure, when the bell at the
door of my apartment was hastily rung. I opened, and Oakley entered.
At first I hardly recognised him, for he was in plain clothes, which
had the effect of converting the smart sergeant into an exceedingly
handsome and gentlemanlike civilian. It struck me he looked paler than
usual, and grave, almost anxious. His first words were an apology for
his intrusion at so late an hour, which I cut short by an assurance of
my gladness to see him, and an inquiry if I could do anything for him
in England.

"When do you go?" said he.

"The day after to-morrow."

"I want nothing there," was his reply; "but before you go you can
render me a great service, if you will."

"If I can, be sure that I will."

"You may perhaps hesitate, when you hear what it is. I want you to be
my second in a duel."

"In a duel!" I repeated, greatly astonished, and not over-pleased at
the idea of being mixed up in some barrack-room quarrel. "In a duel!
and with whom?"

"With an officer of my regiment."

"Of your own rank, I presume?" said I, a little surprised at t