this occasion I believe that I finished three-quarters of the

bottle. As I ate, I still continued to admire the preparations for

defence.

"We could stand a siege," I said at length.

"Ye-es," drawled Northmour; "a very little one, per-haps. It is

not so much the strength of the pavilion I misdoubt; it is the

doubled anger that kills me. If we get to shooting, wild as the

country is some one is sure to hear it, and then - why then it's

the same thing, only different, as they say: caged by law, or

killed by CARBONARI. There's the choice. It is a devilish bad

thing to have the law against you in this world, and so I tell the

old gentleman upstairs. He is quite of my way of thinking."

"Speaking of that," said I, "what kind of person is he?"

"Oh, he!" cried the other; "he's a rancid fellow, as far as he

goes. I should like to have his neck wrung to-morrow by all the

devils in Italy. I am not in this affair for him. You take me? I

made a bargain for Missy's hand, and I mean to have it too."

"That by the way," said I. "I understand. But how will Mr.

Huddlestone take my intrusion?"

"Leave that to Clara," returned Northmour.

I could have struck him in the face for this coarse familiarity;

but I respected the truce, as, I am bound to say, did Northmour,

and so long as the danger continued not a cloud arose in our

relation. I bear him this testimony with the most unfeigned

satisfaction; nor am I without pride when I look back upon my own

behaviour. For surely no two men were ever left in a position so

invidious and irritating.

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