CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN.
My time was now fully employed during the day in fitting out thefrigate; but in the evening I generally dined out at the admiral's or atthe officers' mess. I received several invitations from the marine messto dine with them; but I always contrived to be engaged, for I wasfearful that something might be said relative to my putative father,Ben, which might hurt my pride. Not that I had any reason to supposethat any of the officers would have been guilty of any such rudeness;but as a great deal of wine was drank when company were at the mess, andthere were many young men there, it was possible that, having theknowledge, they might in their cups say something which they never wouldhave done when they were sober. The colonel very often dined there, andconstantly asked me why I refused. My reply was certainly not thetruth, for I said that I was not very partial to marine officers.
We had been three weeks at Portsmouth when Colonel Delmar received aletter from a friend of his, a Major Stapleton, which he read aloud tome at breakfast. It stated that the major would be down at Portsmouththe next day, and requested the colonel to procure him good rooms. "Heis an excellent fellow, the major," continued the colonel, "and will bea great addition to our society. I will prevail upon him to stay a weekor ten days."
On my return from the dock-yard on the following day, I found thecolonel and Major Stapleton in our sitting-room, and was introduced tohim. He was a small, neatly-made man, with handsome features, very welldressed, and of very fashionable appearance. Still there was somethingin his eye which did not please me; it was unsettled and wandering, andnever fixed upon you for more than a second. He met me with greatwarmth and _empressement_, shook me by the hand, and declared whatpleasure he had in making my acquaintance. We sat down to dinner, andwere very merry.
The major had been with us a week, when we had a large party to dinner.The wine was passed freely, and we all were more or less elated. Themajor appeared particularly so, and very much inclined to bequarrelsome, and as he constantly addressed himself to me, I was verycautious in what I said, as I perceived that he was in the humour totake offence at anything. Several very offensive remarks were made byhim, as if to pick a quarrel between us, but I parried them as well as Icould, and I was making an observation, when the major started up, andtold me that what I said was a lie, and that I was a scoundrel forhaving said so.
Now, as my observation was to my first lieutenant, and was in referenceto the hold of the frigate, there could be no cause for this insult, andit could only be ascribed to his being in a state of intoxication. Myreply was very cool and quiet: "Major, you do not know what you aresaying; but we will talk about it to-morrow morning." I then rose andwent to my bed-room, and the whole party broke up immediately.
Shortly afterwards, Colonel Delmar came into my room, and blaming themajor very much for his conduct, ascribed it to intoxication and saidthat he would make him send a proper apology, which he had no doubt thenext morning, when the major was informed of what he had done, he wouldbe most anxious to offer himself.
I replied, that I presumed so; and he quitted my room. Indeed, so fullywas I convinced of this in my own mind, that I gave it no furtherthought, and was soon fast asleep, and did not wake until Colonel Delmarentered my room at a late hour.
"Well, colonel," said I.
"My dear Keene," said he, "I have been to the major, and, to mysurprise, when I stated to him what had passed at the table last night,his reply was, that he perfectly remembered all about it and that hewould not retract what he had said. I remonstrated with him, but invain. He says, that it is cowardly to retract, and that he will nevermake an apology."
"Then," replied I, "there is but one step for me to take."
"As our friend, I told him so, and pressed him very hard to acknowledgehis error, but he continued steadfast in his refusal. I then took uponmyself to say that I was there as your friend, and begged he would namean officer to whom I might address myself. Did I not right, my dearKeene?"
"Certainly; and I am very much obliged to you," replied I, putting on mydressing-gown.
"He must be mad, utterly and positively mad!" exclaimed Colonel Delmar;"I regret very much that he has ever come here. I know that some yearsago, when he was younger, he fought two or three duels rather than makean apology; but in this instance it was so unprovoked, and I had hopedthat he had got over all that nonsense and obstinacy. Are you a goodshot, Keene? because he is a notorious one."
"I can hit my man, colonel; it is true that I have only fought one duelin my life, and would make a great sacrifice rather than fight another;but no alternative is left me in this case; and if blood is shed, itmust be on the head of him who provoked it."
"Very true," replied Colonel Delmar, biting his lip; "I only hope youwill be successful."
"I have no particular animosity against Major Stapleton," replied I;"but as he is such a good shot, I shall in my own defence take good aimat him. At all events, I have sufficient acquaintance with fire-arms,and have passed through too many bullets not to be cool and collectedunder fire, and I therefore consider myself quite a match for the major.Now, colonel, if you will order the breakfast, I will be down in tenminutes or a quarter of an hour."
As the colonel was going out of the room, his servant knocked at thedoor, and said that Captain Green wished to speak to him on particularbusiness; I therefore did not hurry myself, but proceeded quietly withmy toilet, as I was well aware what the particular business was, andthat the conference might last some time. On my descending into thesitting-room I found the colonel alone.
"Well, Keene," said he, "everything is arranged, for the major is deafto all expostulation. You are to meet this evening, and, to avoidinterference, Captain Green and I have agreed to say that the major hasapologised, and all is made up." Of course I had no objection to maketo that, and we parted for the present, I walking to the dock-yard, andhe remaining at the hotel to write letters.
The reader may think that I took matters very coolly; but the fact was,I had no preparations to make in case of accident, having no wife orfamily, and as to any other preparations at such a time, I consideredthem as mockery. I knew that I was about to do what was wrong--tooffend my Creator--and knowing that, and sinning with my eyes open, muchas I regretted that I was compelled to do so, I was still resolved upondoing it. How great may be the culpability in such cases when you arecalled upon to sacrifice all your worldly interests, and to be despisedamong men, or run the risk of involuntarily taking another person'slife, I could not pretend to judge; but one thing was certain, that,however it may be judged in the next world, in this, among soldiers andsailors, it will always be considered as venial. I did, therefore, whatmost in my profession would have done under the same circumstances. Idrove it from my thoughts as much as possible, until the time came todecide my fate. I considered that I must be judged by the tenor of mywhole life, and that repentance, under chance of death, was of about thesame value as death-bed repentance.
As soon as the dock-yard men were mustered out, I returned to the hotel,and sat down to dinner with the colonel. We had scarcely finished abottle of claret when it was time to be off. We walked out of the town,to the place appointed, where I found my adversary and his second. Theground was marked out by the colonel, and, when I took my station, Ifound that the setting sun was in my eyes. I pointed it out to him, andrequested my position might be changed. The other second heard me doso, and very handsomely agreed that I was entitled to what I asked, andthe colonel immediately apologised for his remissness to my interests.The ground was then marked out in another direction, and the coloneltook me to my place, where I observed that one of the white-washed postswas exactly behind me, making me a sure mark for my antagonist. "I amnot used to these things, Keene," replied Colonel Delmar, "and I makestrange mistakes." I then pointed out a direction which would be fairfor both parties. The pistols were then loaded, and put into our hands.We fired at the signal. I felt that I was hit, but my adversary fell.I was paralysed;
and although I remained on my feet, I could not move.Captain Green and the colonel went up to where my adversary lay: theball had passed through his chest.
"He is dead," said Captain Green--"quite dead."
"Yes," replied Colonel Delmar. "My dear Keene, I congratulate you: youhave killed the greatest scoundrel that ever disgraced his Majesty'suniform."
"Colonel Delmar," replied Captain Green, "the observation might well bespared: our errors and our follies die with us."
"Very true, Captain Green," replied I. "I can only express my surprisethat the colonel should have introduced to me a person whose memory henow so bitterly assails." Somehow or another, from the commencement ofthe duel, Colonel Delmar's conduct had excited my suspicions, and ahundred things crowded into my memory, which appeared as if illuminedlike a flash of lightning. I came suddenly to the conviction that hewas my enemy, and not my friend. But I was bleeding fast: some marines,who were passing, were summoned, and the body of Major Stapleton wascarried away by one party, while I was committed to another, and takenback to the hotel. The surgeon was sent for, and my wound was notdangerous. The ball had gone deep into my thigh, but had missed anyvessel of magnitude. It was extracted, and I was left quiet in bed.Colonel Delmar came up to me as before, but I received his professionswith great coolness. I told him that I thought it would be prudent ofhim to disappear until the affair had blown over; but he declared to methat he would remain with me at every risk. Shortly afterwards, CaptainGreen came into my room, and said, "I'm sure, Captain Keene, you will beglad to hear that Major Stapleton is not dead. He had swooned, and isnow come to, and the doctor thinks favourably of him."
"I am indeed very glad, Captain Green; for I had no animosity againstthe major, and his conduct to me has been quite incomprehensible."
After inquiry about my wound, and expressing a hope that I should soonbe well, Captain Green left; but I observed that he took no furthernotice of Colonel Delmar than a haughty salute as he quitted the room;and then, to my surprise, Colonel Delmar said that, upon consideration,he thought it would be advisable for him to go away for a certain time.
"I agree with you," replied I; "it would be better." I said this,because I did not wish his company; for it at once struck me as verystrange that he should, now that Major Stapleton was alive and promisingto do well, talk of departure, when he refused at the time he supposedhim to be killed. I was therefore very glad when in an hour or twoafterwards he took his leave, and started, as he said, for London.
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