CHAPTER IX.

The Punishment,

The passion, long termed Love, whether natural or artificial, is, and ever has been, the summum bonum of our existence, the irresistible magnet which has drawn and kept society together during all ages. All other pleasures are short of soul, and charm the weaker senses. Love is engrossing, monopolizing, and exacting, and like a jealous mistress demands the whole man; for even though the object of it be both deaf and dumb and blind, and even deformed, there is a secret eloquence in her sympathizing spirit, which teaches us submission, and commands our bondage. To rebel is impossible; for the chains of true love are too magically riveted for resistance, and the bullet which must be dragged after you as the shadow of your thoughts, is too weighty an impediment to contend against with success. You are the slave of infatuation a weakness unaccountable, inexplicable, and fatal. Love, however, after all, is but an exotic-it requires the greatest art to bring it to perfection, and the smallest breath of discouragement is sufficient to repress it, and perhaps check it for ever. It is besides a game of chance-a lottery of the most doubtful pretensions; consequently he who plays for the highest stake at any rate has the best opportunity of rising superlatively victorious. There are many different opinions upon this social and delicate subject. Some insisting that it is a natural and universal passion, producing true happiness in those who cultivate it with prudence and proper precaution. Whilst others affirm, and with equal justice, that it has but an ephemeral reign, and although of infinite service in reducing society, is entirely dependent upon its power, to a combination of fancies. The Citizen of the World, in order to keep up the dispute, affirms it to be merely a name, first used by the cunning part of the fair sex, and admitted by the silly part of ours. Be this as it may, natural or artificial, or upon whatsoever senses, passions, or dispositions love depends for its despotism, so thorough was my abandon to its influences and control, that I now was lost to the consequences of my terrestial responsibilities and had yielded, regardless of my position, to those tender and celestial but dreamy sensations which lead us blindfold and helpless to the shoals of misery and regret. My reverie, my ideal realization of perfect happiness, were interrupted, and my dreams dispersed, by a sudden and forbidden knocking at the gates of my paradise, accompanied by the repeated call upon me to come forth.

"Guy, Guy, my dear fellow," said the well-known voice of Jemmy, "I want to speak to you directly. Only one word; but I must see you;" and then, with evident regard to the feelings of poor Agnes, he added, "it is nothing to alarm you-nothing of importance-but I really don't know how to act until I have seen you."

Answering him affirmatively, I was quickly with him.

"Guy," said he, in a whisper, as I joined him, let us go into the breakfast-room; we can't talk this matter over here; in fact we must use the greatest precaution."

Upon this, entering our original room of the morning, he drew his chair to the table, and looking me firmly in the face,

and with quite a different expression from what I had previously observed in him, thus began:

"Guy," he commenced in a serious, earnest tone, "you must fight a duel: there is no mistake about it, you must go out-be 'paraded,' as the Colonel calls it-and give the Aid-de-Camp satisfaction."

My first sensation at this announcement, especially considering the bliss I had just been torn from, were anything but pleasant. A little consideration, however, and a glass of wine, brought me to look upon it as one of the consequences of a run-away match, and I was not so much astonished either at the cartel or the obligation to accept it; so I coolly replied, "very well, Jemmy; but when ?"

"The earlier the better, I think," he returned; "for you see, having accepted the invitation on your behalf, there remains nothing now but to settle the time and place-both of which also, I propose, you likewise leave to me and my brother-second."

"Oh! certainly, Jemmy," said I; "and it is very kind of you to take upon you such an ungracious office. Pray what is the hour? I inquired; for I should like to write a few letters before retiring!"

"It is nearly nine o'clock," he answered," and you can't do better than amuse yourself whilst I go out and see to the preliminaries."

The landlord here entered to impart the very good news that the guard of the return mail had brought him the missing pocket-book, and that not wishing to disturb me he had taken upon himself the risk of rewarding him, which, of course, was approved of. We were all highly pleased at this unexpected recovery, which fortunately smoothed the way for coming events.

**

A little chat with our good-natured host brought this unpleasant séance to a termination, and I found myself alone. Of course, at that period, a meeting" was far from an uncommon affair; scarcely a week passed but what some journal reported a fatal one, besides the many rumours of harmless shooting parties" that daily took place; none the more for that, I cannot say I exactly relished the idea. But Jemmy was right, I argued; how could I refuse? No, no! that was out of the question. I had, undoubtedly, wronged the man, and then added insult to injury; it was almost impossible, even as it was, that either the Colonel or Captain could rejoin their regiment; indeed, they were sure to be laughed at by their brother officers, and over many a mess table throughout the army, let the affair end as it would. I don't think I had ever then fired off a pistol in my life: this worried me excessively, as I could not defend myself; still bracing up my nerves, and my natural courage coming to my assistance, I merely resolved to think no more about it until Wadham returned. A duty I had too long postponed, that of writing to my friends, fully occupied me. To my father I said but little; his sympathies towards me were never of the strongest, and the particulars of my flight would, I thought, merely afford gossip for my sisters; so I simply assured them of our perfect happiness, and, Agnes' health permitting, our quick return. To Mr. Layhard, however, I opened my heart to the very bottom, describing almost every stage of our journey from the moment he left us at Barnet to our final clinching the business at Gretna, the unfortunate state that Agnes had fallen into, her now partial recovery, the exquisite bliss of our union; the pursuit by the Colonel, his signal defeat at

the inn; the ridiculous position of the jilted Captain, winding up the history of my adventures, by a plain statement of the acceptance by Wadham, on my behalf, of the challenge to fight a duel in the morning, and the result of which I would instantly let him know, dead or alive. Hardly had I finished my letter than in marched my faithful punctilious companion. He was in high spirits, patted me on the shoulder, said it was "all right, and comfortable for ten in the morning," and "hang me," he added, laughing, "if you can't splinter the Captain, why I'll drill the old Colonel myself, just to keep up ball practice. By-the-bye," he suddenly put in," there's an officer fellow quartered here, going out on our side to see fair play. They think I am not up to fire-arms,' and the laws of honour. The more the merrier, Guy, says I, so you see it will be a nice little party."

Perfectly acquiescing in all the arrangements which Wadham in his zeal for my honour had thought fit to agree to with the Colonel and his friend the referee, we separated for the night, I to rejoin, perhaps, thought I, for the last time, my still suffering bride; Jemmy, full of health, happiness, and independence, to abandon himself to wild and manly dreams of love and war. You may easily imagine that I passed anything but a pleasant night, anxiety and trouble was all around me, and although I had a certain degree of bliss on on one side of me, it was more than doubly counterbalanced by worry on the other. Of course I dare breathe not even a suspicion of what was to happen on the coming morrow, which naturally caused me to act with considerable deceit. I was perfectly capable in a general sense of carrying out the character, but on the present occasion, and with other feelings, it went rather against the grain. I was glad enough when morning arrived, as action both calmed my nerves and lightened my heart, which previously beat with distressing heaviness.

Embracing Agnes, I descended to receive final instructions from the high-spirited Jemmy, who was already up, and eager for the fray.

The details of a duel here would be a waste of space, and prove anything but interesting or amusing, especially as in its arrangements it was entirely unattended with adventure or other notable event. We were punctual to a moment; the ground being but about two miles distant from Carlisle, there was little or no difficulty in getting to it. Our mutual friend and referee was one Captain Code, to whom I was immediately introduced; his knowledge of the laws of the duello was, undoubtedly, of the highest order, and his explanation of them clear, curt, and concise; he was certainly a great acquisition to both parties. The Colonel bore himself like an indignant Field Marshal, with excessive pride and immoveable sang froid. Captain Brownlow Toppem stood like a statuc, with the air of an indifferent spectator, evidently well drilled in the part he had to play; for myself and Wadham we took the matter, I fear, in rather a sporting light, Jemmy saying something rather funny in allusion to the cocked-hat" look of the opposite party, started a laugh, from which we with difficulty recovered.

As quickly as possible we were placed in line, opposite to one another, at about twelve paces distant, both fully instructed as to the word of command, which was given by the business-like Captain Code. More accustomed than myself to obey orders, and a thousand times more used to handling the pistol, before I could fire, I felt that I had re

ceived my adversary's ball in the thick part of the muscle of my lower left arm. The hit was palpable.

"You've pinked him," roared the Colonel.

"He's only winged!" shouted Code.

The Captain stood his ground.

"Jemmy," running up to my assistance, whispered, "A narrow escape, Guy, by jingo.'

This being deemed by the great Code sufficient punishment, I took seconds' arm, and walked off the ground towards the carriage in waiting, thinking much less of the wound to myself than that I must necessarily inflict upon my cherished Agnes.

A FISHING EXCURSION IN THE LOWLANDS OF SCOTLAND.

BY WANDERER.

(Continued.)

"On the fields of Naseby and Marston Moor he had been signally defeated. Bristol had fallen; Prince Rupert had been disgraced and sent beyond the seas; and the prospect daily grew darker. Chester remained firm; and hither Charles had come to encourage his loyal subjects, and give to the battle which seemed inevitable the cheering influence of his kingly presence. The city had been besieged for some months, and the houses in the suburbs were mostly destroyed.

"On the 27th of September the King entered Chester, and the same day his troops gave battle to the Parliamentary forces. Charles, with the Mayor, Sir Francis Gamsell, and others, here watched the progress of the contest; and when at last all hope was gone, and his soldiers fled before the fiery Puritans, he turned from the melancholy spectacle, descended the steps of this tower, and the next day with great difficulty made his escape from the city.

"This defeat was but the precursor of worse misfortunes. Within three years from that day, a crowd was gathered in front of the Palace at Whitehall. A man in a mask severed at one blow the King's head from his body, and another, holding up the ghastly countenance to the view of the weeping spectators, cried aloud, 'This is the head of a traitor! England was not many years in discovering who were the real traitors.

"Charles had left Chester in worthy hands. 'If you do not receive relief in eight days,' said he to Lord Byron, who was in command, surrender the garrison.' The appointed time passed away, but no relief came. Day after day, for four months, the citizens of Chester, with a courage and determination that claim our admiration, refused the oft-repeated summons to surrender. But there was an enemy within the walls far more formidable than the troops without. Famine proved more powerful than the sword. When the provisions were exhausted, as a last resource, the horses were slaughtered and given out

in rations. Dogs and cats were eaten as dainties; and many of the inhabitants perished from the dreadful hardships which were brought to their homes. The men alone were not occupied in this gallant defence. The women,' says an old chronicler, like so many valiant Amazons, do outface death and dare danger, though it lurk in every basket. Seven are shot and three slain, yet they scorn to leave their matchless undertaking; and thus they continue for ten days' space, possessing the beholders that they are immortal.' At last, reduced to the utmost extremity, and all hope of relief being gone, the city surrendered, on condition that the public and private buildings should be unharmed by the Parliamentary troops. The churches still bear melancholy witness to the manner in which this solemn compact was regarded; and the organ and choir of the cathedral were broken and defaced, with a Vandalism whose traces yet tell of the horrors of civil war. So much, then, for the Phoenix Tower and its historical associations."

We were much struck and pleased with the old Rows, which are peculiar to the city of Chester. These Rows are ascended by a small flight of steps from the street at moderate intervals. They are entirely covered with shops beneath, so that the pedestrian can lounge about and do his commissions in defiance of weather, whilst carriages and other vehicles, as well as equestrians, pursue their course below. The shops are on one side, while on that overlooking the street is a boarding, in some instances ornamented.

No satisfactory account of these Rows has been given. By some they have been supposed to be of British origin, whilst others, with greater probability, consider them to have been erected by the Romans for the joint purposes of defence and recreation. Many circumstances indicate the truth of this opinion, especially that of their resemblance to the porticoes and vestibula described by Plautus and other Roman authors. In further confirmation of their Roman origin, we may observe that there is, or was, in old Rome a street bearing a close resemblance to the Rows of Chester. The fact of a Roman bath and lavatory existing at the present time under one of these Rows adds considerable weight to the arguments of their Roman origin.

It is quite as difficult to describe these Rows to a stranger, as it is to arrive at their early history. We here introduce the description given by the late Albert Smith of the rows of what he calls this marvellous city," he says that "the passenger's footway lies right through the first-floor fronts of the houses, which are cleared away altogether, and above the shops, of ordinary normal position, by the roadside; and thus the back drawing-rooms, or whatever else they may be, are turned into more shops; and great is the puzzle of the stranger as to whether the roadway is down in the cellar, or he is upstairs on the landing, or the house has turned itself out of window, affording a literal proof of that curious state of domestic affairs so often spoken of. And first he fancies the 'Row,' as it is termed, is like the Quadrant, with the road excavated a floor lower, and shops made under the pavement; and then it reminds him of a Thames-side tavern, with all the shutter-wainscots, that divide the large convivial room into so many little philandering ones, drawn away, and the windows knocked out. And finally he arrives at the conclusion that