cle.

"The O'Shea! Yes, sir."

"You may remember that we met at Lucca some time back," said O'Shea, who
felt that the moment was embarrassing and unpleasant.

"Yes, sir. 'The Shaver' recollects you," said he, in a slow, drawling
tone; "and if I ain't mortal mistaken, there's a little matter of
account unsettled between us."

"I 'm not aware of any dealings between us," said O'Shea, haughtily.

"Well, sir, _I_ am, and that comes pretty much to the same thing. You
came over to Lucca one day to see young Layton, and you saw me, and we
had a talk together about miscellaneous matters, and we didn't quite
agree, and we parted with the understand in' that we 'd go over the
figures again, and make the total all right. I hope, sir, you are with
me in all this?"

"Perfectly. I remember it all now. I went over to settle a difference
I had had with Layton, and you, with that amiable readiness for a fight
that distinguishes your countrymen, proposed a little row on your own
account; something--I forget what it was now--interfered with each of
us at the time, but we agreed to let it stand over and open for a future
occasion."

"You talk like a printed book, sir. It's a downright treat to hear you.
Go on," said the Colonel, seriously.

"It's my turn now," broke in Agincourt, warmly, "and I must say, I
expected both more good sense and more generosity from either of you
than to make the first moment of a friendly meeting the occasion of
remembering an old grudge. You 'll not leave this room till you have
shaken hands, and become--what you are well capable of being--good
friends to each other."

"I have no grudge against the Colonel," said O'Shea, frankly.

"Well, sir," said Quackinboss, slowly, "I'm thinkin' Mr. Agincourt is
right. As John Randolf of Roanoke said, 'The men who are ready to
settle matters with the pistol are seldom slow to set them right on
persuasion.' Here 's my hand, sir."

"You 'll both dine with me to-day, I hope," said Agincourt. "My friend
here," added he, taking O'Shea's arm, "has just received a Government
appointment, and we are bound to 'wet his commission' for him in some
good claret."

They accepted the hospitable proposal readily, and now, at perfect
ease together, and without one embarrassing thought to disturb their
intercourse, they sat chatting away pleasantly for some time, when
suddenly Quackinboss started up, saying, "Darn me a pale pink, if I
haven't forgot all that I came about. He