THE 'events' of A DUEL 27 



The son of Erin now considered himself insulted 

 indeed, and, with his characteristic 'fire-eating' 

 habits, sought to avenge the outrage by the means 

 gentlemen then used to arrange their little difficulties 

 of honour by — the duel. He then despatched the 

 following note to his lordship : — 



'My Lord, — I shall be happy to meet you by five 



o'clock to-morrow morning at , and if your lordship 



will have the goodness to bring a friend, a surgeon, and 

 a case of pistols with you, I doubt not but our little 

 misunderstanding will be settled in less than five minutes. 

 ■ — I have the honour to be, etc. etc' 



To this summons the Earl of March and Ruglen 

 returned a reply, in specially courteous and oblig- 

 ing language, accepting the bloodthirsty invitation. 

 With a punctuality worthy of a better cause Lord 

 March appeared on the ground, accompanied by 

 second, surgeon, and other adjuncts to an exit from 

 the world. Great, however, was his lordship's 

 surprise to see his opponent appear on the ground 

 with a like retinue to his own, but increased by a 

 third person, who staggered under the weight of a 

 polished oak coffin, which, sans cerevionie, he de- 

 posited on the ground, end up, with its lid facing Lord 

 March and his party ! Surprise, however, gave place 

 to terror when his lordship read the inscription-plate 



