endearedhimtomesomuchthatIhaveneverfeltthepangsofpartingmorekeenlythanwhenitbecamenecessary，forthefinishingofhiseducation，thatheshouldgoabroad。
ThreeyearshadpassedawaybeforeI
sawhimagain。Duringtheinterval，however，Ihadfrequentlyheardfromhim，sothatabsencehadnotabatedthewarmthofourattachment。Whocouldtelloftherejoicingsthatmarkedtheeveningofhisreturn？Thehorseswereremovedfromthechaiseatthedistanceofamilefromthecastle，whileitanditscontentswerebornerapidlyonwardalmostbythepressureofthemultitude，likealoguponatorrent。Bonfiresblaredfarandnear——
bagpipesroaredandfiddlessqueaked；and，amidthethunderingshoutsofthousands，thecarriagedrewupbeforethecastle。
InaninstantyoungO’Connorwasupontheground，crying，’Thankyou，boys——
thankyou，boys；’whileathousandhandswerestretchedoutfromallsidestograspevenafingerofhis。Still，amidshoutsof’Godblessyourhonour——longmayyoureign!’and’Makeroomthere，boys!cleartheroadforthemasther!’hereachedthethresholdofthecastle，wherestoodhismotherweepingforjoy。
Oh!whocoulddescribethatembrace，ortheenthusiasmwithwhichitwaswitnessed？’Godblesshimtoyou，mylady——
glorytoyeboth!’and’Oh，butheisafineyounggentleman，Godblesshim!’
resoundedonallsides，whilehatsflewupinvolleysthatdarkenedthemoon；andwhenatlength，amidthebroaddelightedgrinsofthethrongingdomestics，whosesenseofdecorumprecludedanymoreboisterousevidenceofjoy，theyreachedtheparlour，thengivingwaytothefulnessofherjoythewidowedmotherkissedandblessedhimandweptinturn。WellmightanyparentbeproudtoclaimassonthehandsomestriplingwhonowrepresentedtheCastleConnorfamily；buttoherhisbeautyhadapeculiarcharm，foritboreastrikingresemblancetothatofherhusband，thelastO’Connor。
Iknownotwhetherpartialityblindedme，orthatIdidnomorethanjusticetomyfriendinbelievingthatIhadneverseensohandsomeayoungman。Iaminclinedtothinkthelatter。Hewasrathertall，veryslightlyandelegantlymade；hisfacewasoval，andhisfeaturesdecidedlySpanishincastandcomplexion，butwithfarmorevivacityofexpressionthangenerallybelongstothebeautyofthatnation。
Theextremedelicacyofhisfeaturesandthevariedanimationofhiscountenancemadehimappearevenyoungerthanhisyears——anillusionwhichthetotalabsenceofeverythingstudiedinhismannersseemedtoconfirm。Timehadwroughtnosmallchangeinme，alikeinmindandspirits；butinthecaseofO’Connoritseemedtohavelostitspowertoalter。
Hisgaietywasundamped，hisgenerosityunchilled；andthoughthespacewhichhadintervenedbetweenourpartingandreunionwasbutbrief，yetattheperiodoflifeatwhichwewere，evenashorterintervalthanthatofthreeyearshasfrequentlyservedtoformorDEformacharacter。
WeekshadpassedawaysincethereturnofO’Connor，andscarceadayhadelapsedwithoutmyseeinghim，whentheneighbourhoodwasthrownintoanunusualstateofexcitementbytheannouncementofarace-balltobecelebratedattheassembly-
roomofthetownofT——，distantscarcelytwomilesfromCastleConnor。
YoungO’Connor，asIhadexpected，determinedatoncetoattendit；andhavingdirectedinvainallthepowersofhisrhetorictopersuadehismothertoaccompanyhim，heturnedthewholebatteryofhislogicuponme，who，atthattime，feltareluctancestrongerthanthatofmereapathytomixinginanyofthesescenesofnoisypleasureforwhichformanyreasonsIfeltmyselfunfitted。Hewassourgentandpersevering，however，thatIcouldnotrefuse；andIfoundmyselfreluctantlyobligedtomakeupmymindtoattendhimupontheimportantnighttothespaciousbutill-finishedbuilding，whichthefashionandbeautyofthecountywerepleasedtotermanassembly-
room。
Whenweenteredtheapartment，wefoundaselectfew，surroundedbyacrowdofspectators，busilyperformingaminuet，withallthecongeesandflourisheswhichbelongedtothatcourtlydance；andmycompanion，infectedbythecontagionofexample，wassoon，asIhadanticipated，wavinghischapeaubras，andgracefullybowingbeforeoneoftheprettiestgirlsintheroom。Ihadneitherskillnorspiritstoqualifymetofollowhisexample；andasthefulnessoftheroomrenderediteasytodosowithoutitsappearingsingular，I
determinedtobemerelyaspectatorofthescenewhichsurroundedme，withouttakinganactivepartinitsamusements。
Theroomwasindeedverymuchcrowded，sothatitsvariousgroups，formedasdesignoraccidenthadthrownthepartiestogether，affordednosmallfundofentertainmenttothecontemplativeobserver。Therewerethedancers，allgaietyandgood-humour；alittlefurtheroffwerethetablesatwhichsatthecard-
players，someplyingtheirvocationwithdeepandsilentanxiety——forinthosedaysgamingoftenranveryhighinsuchplaces——andothersdisputingwithallthevociferouspertinacityofundisguisedill-
temper。There，again，werethesallow，blue-nosed，grey-eyeddealersinwhisperedscandal；and，inshort，thereisscarcelyagrouporcombinationtobemetwithinthecourtofkingswhichmightnothavefoundahumbleparallelintheassembly-
roomofT。
Iwasallowedtoindulgeinundisturbedcontemplation，forIsupposeIwasnotknowntomorethanfiveorsixintheroom。Ithushadleisurenotonlytoobservethedifferentclassesintowhichthecompanyhaddivideditself，buttoamusemyselfbyspeculatingastotherankandcharacterofmanyoftheindividualactorsinthedrama。
Amongmanywhohavelongsincepassedfrommymemory，onepersonforsometimeengagedmyattention，andthatperson，formanyreasons，Ishallnotsoonforget。Hewasatall，square-shoulderedman，whostoodinacarelessattitude，leaningwithhisbacktothewall；heseemedtohavesecludedhimselffromthebusymultitudeswhichmovednoisilyandgailyaroundhim，andnobodyseemedtoobserveortoconversewithhim。Hewasfashionablydressed，butperhapsratherextravagantly；hisfacewasfullandheavy，expressiveofsullennessandstupidity，andmarkedwiththelinesofstrongvulgarity；hisagemightbesomewherebetweenfortyandfifty。SuchasI
haveendeavouredtodescribehim，heremainedmotionless，hisarmsdoggedlyfoldedacrosshisbroadchest，andturninghissulleneyesfromcornertocorneroftheroom，asifeagertodetectsomeobjectonwhichtoventhisill-humour。
Itisstrange，andyetitistrue，thatonesometimesfindseveninthemostcommonplacecountenanceanundefinablesomething，whichfascinatestheattention，andforcesittorecuragainandagain，whileitisimpossibletotellwhetherthepeculiaritywhichthusattractsusliesinfeatureorinexpression。orinbothcombined，andwhyitisthatourobservationshouldbeengrossedbyanobjectwhich，whenanalysed，seemstopossessnoclaimtointerestoreventonotice。ThisunaccountablefeelingIhaveoftenexperienced，andIbelieveIamnotsingular。butneverinsoremarkableadegreeasuponthisoccasion。MyfriendO’Connor，havingdisposedofhisfairpartner，wascrossingtheroomforthepurposeofjoiningme，indoingwhichIwassurprisedtoseehimexchangeafamiliar，almostacordial，greetingwiththeobjectofmycuriosity。
IsayIwassurprised，forindependentofhisveryquestionableappearance，itstruckmeasstrangethatthoughsoconstantlyassociatedwithO’Connor，and，asI
thought，personallyacquaintedwithallhisintimates，Ihadneverbeforeevenseenthisindividual。Ididnotfailimmediatelytoaskhimwhothisgentlemanwas。Ithoughtheseemedslightlyembarrassed，butafteramoment’spausehelaughinglysaidthathisfriendoverthewaywastoomysteriousapersonagetohavehisnameannouncedinsogiddyasceneasthepresent；butthatonthemorrowhewouldfurnishmewithalltheinformationwhichIcoulddesire。Therewas，Ithought，inhisaffectedjocularityarealawkwardnesswhichappearedtomeunaccountable，andconsequentlyincreasedmycuriosity；itsgratification，however，I
wasobligedtodefer。Atlength，weariedwithwitnessingamusementsinwhichI
couldnotsympathise，Ilefttheroom，anddidnotseeO’Connoruntillateinthenextday。
IhadriddendowntowardsthecastleforthepurposeofvisitingtheO’Connors，andhadnearlyreachedtheavenueleadingtothemansion，whenImetmyfriend。
Hewasalsomounted；andhavingansweredmyinquiriesrespectinghismother，heeasilypersuadedmetoaccompanyhiminhisramble。Wehadchattedasusualforsometime，when，afterapause，O’Connorsaid：
’Bytheway，Purcell，youexpressedsomecuriosityrespectingthetall，handsomefellowtowhomIspokelastnight。’
’IcertainlydidquestionyouaboutaTALLgentleman，butwasnotawareofhisclaimstobeauty，’repliedI。
’Well，thatisasitmaybe，’saidhe；
’theladiesthinkhimhandsome，andtheiropinionuponthatscoreismorevaluablethanyoursormine。Doyouknow，’hecontinued，’IsometimesfeelhalfsorrythatIevermadethefellow’sacquaintance：
heisquiteamarkedmanhere，andtheytellstoriesofhimthatareanythingbutreputable，thoughIamsurewithoutfoundation。IthinkIknowenoughabouthimtowarrantmeinsayingso。’
’MayIaskhisname？’inquiredI。
’Oh!didnotItellyouhisname？’
rejoinedhe。’Youshouldhaveheardthatfirst；heandhisnameareequallywellknown。YouwillrecognisetheindividualatoncewhenItellyouthathisnameis——Fitzgerald。’
’Fitzgerald!’Irepeated。’Fitzgerald!——
canitbeFitzgeraldtheduellist？’
’Uponmywordyouhavehitit，’repliedhe，laughing；’butyouhaveaccompaniedthediscoverywithalookofhorrormoretragicthanappropriate。Heisnotthemonsteryoutakehimfor——hehasagooddealofoldIrishpride；histemperishasty，andhehasbeenunfortunatelythrowninthewayofmenwhohavenotmadeallowanceforthesethings。IamconvincedthatineverycaseinwhichFitzgeraldhasfought，ifthetruthcouldbediscovered，hewouldbefoundtohaveactedthroughoutuponthedefensive。Nomanismadenoughtoriskhisownlife，exceptwhenthedoingsoisanalternativetosubmittingtamelytowhatheconsidersaninsult。Iamcertainthatnomaneverengagedinaduelundertheconsciousnessthathehadactedanintentionallyaggressivepart。’
’Whendidyoumakehisacquaintance？’
saidI。
’Abouttwoyearsago，’hereplied。’I
methiminFrance，andyouknowwhenoneisabroaditisanungracioustasktorejecttheadvancesofone’scountryman，otherwiseIthinkIshouldhaveavoidedhissociety——lessuponmyownaccountthanbecauseIamsuretheacquaintancewouldbeasourceofcontinualthoughgroundlessuneasinesstomymother。Iknow，therefore，thatyouwillnotunnecessarilymentionitsexistencetoher。’
Igavehimthedesiredassurance，andadded：
’MayIaskyou。O’Connor，if，indeed，itbeafairquestion，whetherthisFitzgeraldatanytimeattemptedtoengageyouinanythinglikegaming？’
ThisquestionwassuggestedbymyhavingfrequentlyheardFitzgeraldmentionedasanotedgambler，andsometimesevenasablackleg。O’Connorseemed，I
thought，slightlyembarrassed。Heanswered：
’No，no——Icannotsaythatheeverattemptedanythingofthekind。I
certainlyhaveplayedwithhim，butneverlosttoanyseriousamount；norcanI
recollectthatheeversolicitedme——indeedheknowsthatIhaveastrongobjectiontodeepplay。YOUmustbeawarethatmyfinancescouldnotbearmuchpruningdown。Ineverlostmoretohimatasittingthanaboutfivepounds，whichyouknowisnothing。No，youwronghimifyouimaginethatheattachedhimselftomemerelyforthesakeofsuchcontemptiblewinningsasthosewhichabroken-downIrishgentlemancouldaffordhim。Come，Purcell，youaretooharduponhim——youjudgeonlybyreport；youmustseehim，anddecideforyourself——Supposewecalluponhimnow；heisattheinn，intheHighStreet，notamileoff。’
Ideclinedtheproposaldrily。
’Yourcautionistooeasilyalarmed，’
saidhe。’Idonotwishyoutomakethismanyourbosomfriend：Imerelydesirethatyoushouldseeandspeaktohim，andifyouformanyacquaintancewithhim，itmustbeofthatslightnaturewhichcanbedroppedorcontinuedatpleasure。’
FromthetimethatO’ConnorhadannouncedthefactthathisfriendwasnootherthanthenotoriousFitzgerald，aforebodingofsomethingcalamitoushadcomeuponme，anditnowoccurredtomethatifanyunpleasantnessweretobefearedaslikelytoresulttoO’Connorfromtheirconnection，Imightfindmyattemptstoextricatehimmuchfacilitatedbymybeingacquainted，howeverslightly，withFitzgerald。Iknownotwhethertheideawasreasonable——itwascertainlynatural；