Duke of Haverfield
entered. "I am charmed to find you at home," cried the duke, with his
usual half kind, half careless address. "I was determined to call upon
you, and be the first to offer my services in this unpleasant affair."

Clarence pressed the duke's hand, but made no answer.

"Nothing could be so unhandsome as Lord Borodaile's conduct," continued
the duke. "I hope you both fence and shoot well. I shall never forgive
you, if you do not put an end to that piece of rigidity."

Clarence continued to walk about the room in great agitation; the duke
looked at him with some surprise. At last Linden paused by the window,
and said, half unconsciously, "It must be so: I cannot avoid fighting!"

"Avoid fighting!" cried his grace, in undisguised astonishment. "No,
indeed: but that is the least part of the matter; you must kill as well
as fight him."

"Kill him!" cried Clarence, wildly, "whom?" and then sinking into a
chair, he covered his face with his hands for a few moments, and seemed
to struggle with his emotions.

"Well," thought the duke, "I never was more mistaken in my life. I could
have bet my black horse against Trevanion's Julia, which is certainly
the most worthless thing I know, that Linden had been a brave fellow:
but these English heroes almost go into fits at a duel; one manages such
things, as Sterne says, better in France."

Clarence now rose, calm and collected. He sat down; wrote a brief note
to Borodaile, demanding the fullest apology, or the earliest meeting;
put it into the duke's hands, and said with a faint smile, "My dear
duke, dare I ask you to be a second to a man who has been so grievously
affronted and whose genealogy has been so disputed?"

"My dear Linden," said the duke, warmly, "I have always been grateful
to my station in life for this advantage,--the freedom with which it has
enabled me to select my own acquaintance and to follow my own pursuits.
I am now more grateful to it than ever, because it has given me a better
opportunity than I should otherwise have had of serving one whom I have
always esteemed. In entering into your quarrel I shall at least show
the world that there are some men not inferior in pretensions to Lord
Borodaile who despise arrogance and resent overbearance even to others.
Your cause I consider the common cause of society; but I shall take it
up, if you will allow me, with the distinguishing zeal of a friend."

Clarence, who was much affected by the kindn