Frank Belward and myself returned to the barracks. I lost no time in sending in my application for leave, on urgent private business ; it was forthwith granted, and at the appointed hour, Belward and myself were seated in the coffee-room of the Quebec. After some little delay Marsland joined us; I at once saw by his manner that his friendly negotiations had failed.

“ Cludde is like an infuriated bull,” said he, “no reasoning can dissuade him from his purpose. I have therefore arranged a meeting for to-morrow morning at six o'clock, at Cowes ; in this garrison we might be disturbed. I have ordered a boat at half-past five this afternoon, when the tide will serve to take us over to the Isle of Wight; meet me at the Point at that hour, in the mean time I will provide myself with every thing that is necessary."

Frank Belward, who was in orders for a court martial on the following morning, now took leave of me, having promised to send Hargreaves with my “kit” for the night. In wishing me “ Good bye,” the tears stood in the youth's eyes, as he remarked

“ That fatal race, of which I was the chief promoter, has been the cause of this melancholy event."

Precisely at half-past 5 o'clock I found myself at the appointed place, and was there joined by Marsland. A four-oared wherry was in readiness, and we embarked without creating any suspicion, except perhaps in the mind of my companion's servant, who had with great care stowed away a carpet bag, containing a small mahogany case, which he was aware held a pair of Manton's best duelling pistols. The evening was bright and serene ; a fresh breeze springing up from the east, we made our passage in a much less time than we had anticipated. Upon landing at the Government Steps, we ordered our boatmen to be on the look-out off Egypt Point the following morning, at six o'clock, and proceeded to the Marine Hotel. Here Marsland, who had fasted since the morning meal, ordered a light dinner. While it was preparing I called for pen, ink, and paper, and wrote an affectionate letter to my father and mother ; need l add, I addressed a few lines to my first love, Ellen ? As I sealed the letters, and reflected that perhaps they were the last I should ever dictate, a tear fell from my eyes, which I hastily brushed away, as the landlady made her appearance, followed by her attendants, each bearing a tin-covered dish.

“I am sorry, gentlemen,” said the hostess, that I have only one spare bed in the hotel, but I have secured a very nice room at a friend's house, up the hill."

“ That will do admirably well,” we responded; and having ordered a bottle of the best sherry the cellar could produce, we were left to our own reflections. During the rest of the evening, Marsland conversed in a cheerful, although not frivolous manner ; he felt deeply interested in the result of the meeting, but did not attempt to buoy up my spirits by reckless bravado, or even sanguine anticipations. At ten o'clock we parted, when, accompanied by the waiter, who pertinaciously asked me at what hour I would breakfast the following morning, we reached a small unpretending villa.

“Your carpet bag is in your room, sir," said the owner of Ventnor Cottage, so it was called ; - at what hour do you like to be called in the morning?"

" At five, if convenient," I responded.

“I will tell Clarke, the boatman, to ring the house-bell at that hour, sir," replied the hostess, who, after conducting me to my bed-room, wished me good night.

Left to myself, in a strange house, with no friend to pour out my grief to, added to the feeling that it might be the last time I should ever lay my head upon my pillow to sleep, can it be wondered that I gave way to a flood of tears? The hard-hearted, the callous may laugh at my weakness, but when I thought of the hopeless wretchedness my violent death would cause my kind affectionate mother when I reflected upon my gallant father's sufferings at hearing I had fallen--not in the field of glory-when I pictured to myself Ellen's despair, my whole frame was unmanned, and, for a time, I gave way to the deepest anguish. I was aroused from these reflections by the sound of the parish church clock striking eleven. In crossing the room to open my carpet-bag, my attention was attracted to two books placed on the toilet table ; I opened them, and found they were the only two books that ought to have occupied my meditations at such an awful moment, when death, an inglorious, wicked death, was staring me in the face. With grateful emotions I turned to the Sacred truths of the one, and the pure liturgy of the other, and it was not until long after midnight that I deprived myself of the salutary consolation they afforded. The few hours that were now left for me were devoted to sleep, and after a short but refreshing slumber, I awoke, just as the boatman, agreeable to his promise, had given a long peal at the house bell.

After the duties of the morning were finished, I threw open my window, and looked out upon a scene that will never be obliterated from my mind; the sun had just loomed through a distant vapour, and was now shining forth pre-eminently brilliant ; not a breath of air was stirring on the land ; the huge expanse of water free from ripple, looked like a glassy lake; the sweet-scented briar, the creeping honeysuckle, the fragrant rose, which decked the small green verandah, emitted their delicious odours, and brought back vividly to my recollection Ellen's garden and summer-bouse, where I had passed so many happy, happy hours. A few fishing boats were to be seen along the shore, which, with the exception of a few weather-beaten tars on the look-out for pilotage, were the only animated objects in this otherwise quiet and peaceful scene. At half-past five I was joined by Marsland, who led the way across the fields towards Egypt ; we were followed by a lad carrying the carpet bag, which had been so carefully stowed away in our boat. A half-crown rewarded his services, and the youth, little aware of the part he had unwittingly taken as an accomplice before the fact, seemed to express how satisfied he would be at a daily recurrence of such a windfall. As we approached a small plantation, since fallen a victim to the brickand-mortar mania, we perceived Lieutenant Cludde and his friend, Captain Chamberlain. After a courteous recognition upon both sides, the seconds proceeded to measure the ground, twelve paces, the pistols were then loaded, and the signal - the dropping of a handkerchief agreed on.

“ I shall ask you, gentlemen,” said Chamberlain, “ whether you are ready, and the moment you reply in the affirmative, Captain Marsland will drop his handkerchief as a signal for you to fire ; you may cock your pistols, but not raise them until then."

It was a moment of awful suspense : I seized the weapon offered me, and at the given time raised and fired it without any deliberate aim. A whizzing noise was heard close to my ear, which made me start a little. As the smoke cleared away, I saw my antagonist on the ground.

“Surgeon Daly, you are required," shouted Captain Chamberlain ; and at the word, a gentleman, who had placed himself out of sight of the combatants, made his appearance.

“ I hope it is not serious,” said I, addressing my friend.

"I think not,” he replied, “but I will hear the surgeon's report." He shortly afterwards returned to say that my bullet had taken effect in the fleshy part of the thigh, and was pronounced not to have touched any vital function. Marsland added, that Cludde, through the interference of his second, had withdrawn the offensive epithets, and was ready to shake hands with me. To this proposition I readily assented, and leaving the wounded man under the care of the surgeon, Marsland and myself returned to the Marine Hotel, where we enjoyed a much more hearty repast than the one of the preceding night.

The moment our meal was concluded, I returned to my lodgings, and, in the same room where I had offered up my fervent supplication for preservation, returned my grateful acknowledgments to a Beneficent Being for mercies vouchsafed to me. We then embarked for Portsmouth, with lighter hearts and merrier countenances than those of the previous day. As we ran into the harbour, we observed a small conclave of “ours," looking out from the battery, and upon landing at the Point were surrounded by enquiring friends, anxious to hear the result of the meeting.

“I congratulate you," said one.

“ Cludde's a regular fire-eater,” remarked another, “and has met with his deserts."

“I've seen him snuff a candle out at twelve paces,' exclaimed a third ; " and if he had fired by word of command instead of signal, the tables might have been turned.”

Such probably might have been the case, had not Captain Marsland. knowing the character of my opponent, insisted upon having a handkerchief dropped, so as to prevent him from taking a deliberate aim ; as it was, the bullet had gone within an inch or two of my neck. Upon entering the barrack-yard, Frank Belward came forth to welcome me; after grasping my hand cordially, said

“I've a piece of good news for you ; Colonel Douglas arrived in England last night, and joined us this morning, he is now in the Orderly. room."

Nothing could have gratified me more than this intelligence, for I dreaded the anger of the irritable and prejudiced Major Prowl, after the personal conflict I had been engaged in with his friend and protegée.

The Colonel has requested to see all the officers in the Mess-room, at two o'clock,” continued my brother * sub.;” adding, in a lower and a playful tone, “and • I'd have you to know, sir' is in a dreadful takingthe Major's occupation's gone.'”

At the appointed hour the officers' call was sounded, and we assembled in the room I had quitted two evenings previous, with very different feelings from those with which I now entered it. As our new commander made his appearance, followed by our old tormentor, every one rose and saluted him. Both his look and manner were extremely prepossessing, and the short, yet feeling address, in which he alluded to the popularity of our late Lieutenant-Colonel, the distinguished services of the corps, and a modest remark upon his own good fortune in being appointed to it, quite won the hearts of his hearers. After a few words to each individually, Colonel Douglas dismissed us, but not before remarking that the system that had been carried on in the regiment was one he entirely approved of, and that he hoped for the support of all under him upon every point of duty.

True enough it was, that the system had been good, although it had been lately much abused in the execution of it, by the Major and Adjutant; but a brighter era seemed about to dawn upon us, and universal joy was felt in the breast of every individual in the gallant -th, save and except in that, perhaps, of the choleric field officer, now happily no longer in power.

At dinner, Colonel Douglas fully merited the high opinion we had entertained of him during our first interview ; he was open, agreeable, and courteous to all alike ; he talked of field sports, and declared himself ready to support every species of amusemnt to beguile the monotony of country quarters.

Cludde's wound, although not a dangerous one, was slow in healing, and it was not for more than a fortnight that he was enabled to be removed from Cowes to the quarters of his regiment; during this period I made every exertion to get through what is termed Adjutant's drill; and I so far succeeded, that the day before my antagonist rejoined, I was reported fit to take regimental duty. Cludde met me with cold civility the venom still rankled in his breast ; and from that hour to the present one, I could not account for his vindictive and pugnacious feelings towards me, except, indeed, upon the principle that induced Mithridates to poison his rival, Alceus, of Sardis, for having had better horses than himself in the race.

To return to the Colonel. “ Honest Jack," as he was called, was one of those men that win you at first sight ; to a fine, handsome, soldierlike appearance, was combined a kind-hearted open nature, free from guile or affectation. Upon points of duty, Douglas was a rigid disciplinarian ; in private he promoted every gentlemanlike amusement ; and never was there a greater contrast than at the mess dinner under his presidency, and that of his predecessor, Major Prowle. At one, all was good-humour, gaiety, and mirth ; at the othey, moody silence and suppressed anger prevailed. No allusion was ever made to the duel, but from all I could glean from private channels, the Colonel had pronounced me to be a "fine-spirited young fellow," (I blush thus to trumpet furth my own fame) and had expressed his satisfaction at my having taken such stringent measures with the quarrelsome Adjutant. We must remind our readers that Peace Associations and Anti-Duelling Societies • were not then in existence, nor had the authorities at the Horse-Guards issued their mandate against affairs of honour. Indeed, such was their frequent occurrence in the reign of George the Third that, according to a published return, one hundred and seventy-two were fought, in which three hundred and forty-four persons were concerned, ninety individuals were killed ; in three of these fatal cases neither of the combatants survived ! ninety-six were wounded, forty-eight of them desperately, and forty-eight slightly ; while one hundred and fifty-eight escaped unhurt.

Fortunately for the present generation this reign of terror has passed away, and modern men may moralize with the fat Knight, “ The better part of valour is--discretion ;" or say with David in “The Rivals," in reply to Bob Acres, that “ No gentleman will ever risk the loss of his honour ;” “I say then, it would be but civil in honour never to risk the loss of a gentleman.”

We cannot do better than conclude this chapter on duelling, by giving the further lucubrations of the last-mentioned individual : “Look'ee, master, this honour seems to me to be a marvellous false friend-ay, truly, a very courtier-like servant. Put the case I was a gentleman, (which, thank my stars, no one can say of me); well, my honour ma es me quarrel with another gentleman of my acquaintance ; so we fight (pleasant enough that). Boh! I kill him, (the more's my luck). Now who, pray, gets the profit of it? Why, my honour! But put the case that he kills me! By the mass, I go to the worms, and my honour whips over to my enemy.”

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS.

“We belong to the unpopular family of Tell-truths, and would not flatter Apollo for his lyre."-Rob Roy.

“ Just going to begin !” on all occasions was the greeting of Mr. Richardson, of fair notoriety. Just so, in the metropolis, when one order of amusements is brought to an end, there is always some other kind about to commence. The wanderer after excitement never need pause ; for, what with outdoor amusements, theatres, and exhibitions, he is sure to find no lack of materials to engage his fancy, and enable him to emulate Colman's hero-to“ push along, keep moving.” Taking it for granted that our Young Rapid has tasted sufficiently of the summer's blossoms, he now will be ripe for winter's fruit. For the nonce he turns from Elysian fields to scenes just bud. ding. Amongst the earliest for his repast is the entertainment offered at the PRINCESS's, chiefly consisting of what Mr. Charles Mathews denominates a French “ kickshaw," " The Prima Donna,” very palatably served up by all the cooks concerned, and likely to appear as a leading dish in the bill of fare for some time to come. This is followed by the very indigestible stew under the guise of “ The Corsican Brothers," which is helped to go down by the old, but well-prepared, trifle in the shape of “ A Roland for an Oliver," in which Mr. Walter Lacy is quite at home, and Miss Leclerc is not.

Of course “ Jack Sheppard” must be seen, as it is the only version licensed by the Lord Chamberlain ;' and then, again, the hero by an