the weapon for your hot-headed fellow; he does not find a chance
while using it to work himself into a passion, as with the sword."

"Yes; but then with powder and ball, the veriest dunce in
Christendom may blow out a gentleman's brain, while it takes an
artiste to run one through the body handsomely. Give me the sword,
Carlton-I've a great horror, in such cases, of 'villanous
saltpetre.'"

"I have no taste in such matters; but knowing the boasted prowess of
Signor Petro with the sword, I preferred that weapon, though I think
you have seen me do some pretty things with the pistol, Brownlow? It
was a silly fancy I had when a boy to learn its use."

"An' I had carte and tierces at my fingers' ends as thou hast, I
would give a thousand pounds," said his companion.

"I'll tell thee how to gain it."

"By what means?"

"Shut thyself up as I have done for months together, with no
companion save the brush, and no money to purchase books for
perusal, and thou couldst learn it as readily as I have done; always
supposing you to have as expert a teacher as that little Frenchman,
Carnot, who in all else was anything but a companion-ay, a regular
bore. But in mastering my aversion for him, why, you see, Brownlow,
I became master of the weapon."

"Very true, but I have no Carnot to teach me; and to-day I see what