THE DUEL.





What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill.

-Timon of Athens.

AS we have said, Petro, finding that nothing short of an open and
downright insult could bring Carlton to be the challenging party,
therefore resolved to make a bold attempt to accomplish this. He was
revolving this matter over in his mind, when an event occurred which
led him to be the challenger in fact. He was strolling home from the
weekly cordon of the Grand Duke one evening, and was just turning an
angle of his uncle's palace walls, when hearing the voice of a
female in answer to that of a man, he paused, and following the
sound, discovered Florinda leaning from a balcony in the lower range
of the palace, and in close conversation with his hated rival,
Carlton. This was sufficient, under the circumstances, to raise all
his fiery spirit, and he determined that it should serve him as a
pretext for a quarrel.

Placing himself hard by where he knew Carlton must pass in his
leave-taking of the palace, he patiently awaited his coming; and but
a short time elapsed before Carlton, bidding good night to Florinda,
was hastening from the spot, when he encountered Petro, whose dark
countenance was the very picture of rage, while his large, dark eyes