"Well said! Your wit has. saved you.—Bring in the teapot, John." .

The cards, the wine,—the tea was brought.

"We will not cut for partners," said Bonmot, shuffling the cards ; "let it be a game of pure skill—party against party. My lord and I will play with you and Feinton for a hundred guineas."

"Done! for two hundred," I exclaimed; for I had already drunk beyond prudence. Feinton, however, who had been more temperate, appeared reluctant.

"Two hundred ]" repeated Boumot, slowly shuffling the cards with an air of reflection. "'Tis a large stake for the first—However, I don't care: what say you, my lord?" .

"It's a matter of indifference to me," answered his lordship.

"Well then— but Mr. Feinton seems dissatisfied?"

"Why/' said Feinton, with hesitation,—" I—I think the sum too large."

"The devil, Feinton," I exclaimed,—" don't hesitate about a trifle! Come, indulge yourself for once." I could be thus familiar with him; for, though I have had no occasion to introduce him before, he was the one I liked the most of all my acquaintance—indeed, my intimate friend.

"I am perfectly willing, Levis; but you well know I cannot afford to stake so highly. Let it be a hundred."

"A hundred, then," cried Bonmot. "And now for the deal.—Ah, confound it! there go the cards !" he added, as the whole pack fell from his hand upon the floor. The servant stooped to pick them up. "No matter," said Bonmot, "I have them now—they were not much scattered"—and he raised apparently the same pack, and began to shuffle it.

The deal came to me, and Lord Findue cut. The game commenced. I drank my wine, and laughed and talked; Bonmot sipped his tea, and laughed, talked, punned, sang, and roared. Feinton could not keep us silent. Both himself, however, and Lord Findue played as they should,—the former drinking moderately—the latter to an excess that made me wonder; for it had no more effect upon him, than if it had been so much coffee, or any other moderate stimulant.

The first game was mine and Feinton's; the second turned out for our antagonists; and the third again was ours. So the hundred guineas were won.

"Now double the stakes!" I exclaimed.

"Agreed !" cried Bonmot, still laughing.

"Done!" added my partner, forgetting his caution. And his lordship said nothing, but looked as cold as ever.

The second rubber we lost. Feinton became again distrustful, and proposed to reduce the stakes; but I roared, and swore, and forgetting, not merely the deference I owed to the wishes of my guests, but even common decency, exclaimed, "I'll be damned if I play any longer, unless the stakes be doubled!"

"But"—said Feinton anxiously. I would not listen to him.

"It is but two hundred apiece, Feinton; and if we lose, I hope we are friends enough to settle it without difficulty." —And Feinton suffered himself to be persuaded, or rather, out-talked.

"Four hundred guineas, then!" roared Bonmot.

"Four hundred," quietly repeated Lord Findue, with a. cold smile—the first of any kind I had yet seen upon his lordship's lips.

"Four hundred !" I added, echoing Bonmot; and filled myself another glass—though my brain was already reeling.

Feinton said nothing; and the third rubber commenced. We lost it.

"Levis," said my partner, in a voice affectedly calm, •'I'll thank jou for the wine." I was about to push it to him; but he extended his arm, while my hand was yet upon the bottle, and took it from me, pressing my fingers in a manner that declared, at once, his motive in asking for the wine was but to attract my attention. I looked at him. He glanced his eye quickly upon Bonmot, and then upon the cards—which the Honourable gentleman was shuffling, with his head bent over them, so that he did not observe us. I understood the glance, and my hot temper, already kindled by excessive drinking, burst at once into flame.

Without stopping to reflect that Feinton's hint might be but'a mere suspicion, I sprang from the table almost out of my senses, and threw my chair with violence to the opposite side of the room.

"Why, what's the matter, Jerry ?" asked Bonmot, with some surprise; for the action was so sudden that the whole party around the table started.simultaneously from their chairs. .

"The matter:, Jerry?" I exclaimed with bitterness, mimicking him. Then, raising my voice—" Mr. Bonmot, S1I, best knows what the matter is."

"How ?" cried the Honourable gentleman, with a laugh —but not a lau^h of good-nature ;—" you have drunk too amch, Mr. Levis."

"Drunk too much!—And you, sir," I added, with par. ucular emphasis, "have—played too much."

"Mr. Levis," said my antagonist, with the sneer of a devil, and in a voice affectedly cool, "—when you have recovered your senses, I will listen to you. Your brain, sir, is too soft at present."

Had he met my rage with rage, I might have gradually cooled, till I was able to listen to reason : but—this sneer! —- I reached my arm across the table, and muttering between my gnashed teeth "Scoundrel!", struck him directly in the face. He staggered; but, being a strong man, did not fall.

Feinton and Lord Findue, who had hitherto stood by ""active, now threw themselves between us.

"Unhand me, my lord!" cried Bonmot, in a voice of thunder—at the same time extricating himself from his friend's grasp—"I am perfectly cool." Then, leaning his head toward me, "Mr. Levis," he said, in a low, hollow voice,—" you shall answer this with your life."

"Not only to you," I roared, "but to your friend there! I'll fight you both—now—this moment! John, bring me my pistols!"—and I attempted to spring forward and again strike my provoker; but Feinton held me tightly.

"Gentlemen," he said, "you see how it is with my

friend Stop, Levis! let me speak I pledge you

my honour he shall answer you, Mr. Bonmot."

"That I will!" I cried, gnashing my teeth like a madman, and tossing my arms in my vain efforts to escape.

"If you, my lord," continued Feinton, "will retire to the rooms below, I will join you in a few minutes, and settle every thing.—Will that satisfy you, Mr. Bonmot?"

Bonmot bowed in silence, and left the apartment; and his friend, saying he should "wait below to see Mr. Feinton," immediately followed him.

Feinton now persuaded me, but with great difficulty, to go to bed. Then, whispering something to my servant John, and bidding him, aloud, attend his master, he descended to the interview with Lord Findue.

CHAPTER XLII.

•

>ty laws of learned duellists,
They that are bruis'd with wood or fists,
And think one beating may for once
Suffice, are cowards and poltroons:
But, if they dare engage t' a second,
They.re stout and gallant feliows reckon.d.

Hudibras.
.r

I Slept like a beast all that night,

In the morning, I was awakened by a hand that shook me violently, when opening my eyes 1 saw, by the dim light of the early dawn, my friend Feinton, completely dressed, standing by my bed side.

"Up, Levis," he said; "we have but an hour."

"But an hour?" I yawned,—" For—what?"

"For what? Is it possible you have forgotten last night?"

I rubbed my eyes, and turned over on my side. "Last night?" The recollection shot through me like an arrow. The pang was dreadful; but Feinton had his searching eyes fixed upon my countenance, and Pride drove back the weapon and steeled my breast with firmness.

"I remember, now. Are all things arranged?" I

asked—calmly, but without affecting an indifference which I could not feel, and would not have wished to feel.

"Every thing," he answered, with a look which showed him satisfied of my courage. "But rise now, and dress yourself,—we have not a moment: to spare. I'll wait in the next room, till you are ready.—When you are, call me." He left the room.

Merciful God! what a moment was that for me! I was not deficient in animal courage. Young as I was, I

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