My time was now fully employed during the day in fitting out the
frigate; but in the evening I generally dined out at the admiral's or at
the officers' mess. I received several invitations from the marine mess
to dine with them; but I always contrived to be engaged, for I was
fearful that something might be said relative to my putative father,
Ben, which might hurt my pride. Not that I had any reason to suppose
that any of the officers would have been guilty of any such rudeness;
but as a great deal of wine was drank when company were at the mess, and
there were many young men there, it was possible that, having the
knowledge, they might in their cups say something which they never would
have done when they were sober. The colonel very often dined there, and
constantly asked me why I refused. My reply was certainly not the
truth, for I said that I was not very partial to marine officers.
We had been three weeks at Portsmouth when Colonel Delmar received a
letter from a friend of his, a Major Stapleton, which he read aloud to
me at breakfast. It stated that the major would be down at Portsmouth
the next day, and requested the colonel to procure him good rooms. "He
is an excellent fellow, the major," continued the colonel, "and will be
a great addition to our society. I will prevail upon him to stay a week
or ten days."
On my return from the dock-yard on the following day, I found the
colonel and Major Stapleton in our sitting-room, and was introduced to
him. He was a small, neatly-made man, with handsome features, very well
dressed, and of very fashionable appearance. Still there was something
in his eye which did not please me; it was unsettled and wandering, and
never fixed upon you for more than a second. He met me with great
warmth and _empressement_, shook me by the hand, and declared what
pleasure he had in making my acquaintance. We sat down to dinner, and
were very merry.
The major had been with us a week, when we had a large party to dinner.
The wine was passed freely, and we all were more or less elated. The
major appeared particularly so, and very much inclined to be
quarrelsome, and as he constantly addressed himself to me, I was very
cautious in what I said, as I perceived that he was in the humour to
take offence at anything. Several very offensive remarks were made by
him, as if to pick a quarrel between us, but I parried them as well as I
could, and I was making an observation, when the major started up, and
told me that what I said was a lie, and that I was a scoundrel for
having said so.
Now, as my observation was to my first lieutenant, and was in reference
to the hold of the frigate, there could be no cause for this insult, and
it could only be ascribed to his being in a state of intoxication. My
reply was very cool and quiet: "Major, you do not know what you are
saying; but we will talk about it to-morrow morning." I then rose and
went to my bed-room, and the whole party broke up immediately.
Shortly afterwards, Colonel Delmar came into my room, and blaming the
major very much for his conduct, ascribed it to intoxication and said
that he would make him send a proper apology, which he had no doubt the
next morning, when the major was informed of what he had done, he would
be most anxious to offer himself.
I replied, that I presumed so; and he quitted my room. Indeed, so fully
was I convinced of this in my own mind, that I gave it no further
thought, and was soon fast asleep, and did not wake until Colonel Delmar
entered my room at a late hour.
"Well, colonel," said I.
"My dear Keene," said he, "I have been to the major, and, to my
surprise, when I stated to him what had passed at the table last night,
his reply was, that he perfectly remembered all about it and that he
would not retract what he had said. I remonstrated with him, but in
vain. He says, that it is cowardly to retract, and that he will never
make an apology."
"Then," replied I, "there is but one step for me to take."
"As our friend, I told him so, and pressed him very hard to acknowledge
his error, but he continued steadfast in his refusal. I then took upon
myself to say that I was there as your friend, and begged he would name
an officer to whom I might address myself. Did I not right, my dear
Keene?"
"Certainly; and I am very much obliged to you," replied I, putting on my
dressing-gown.
"He must be mad, utterly and positively mad!" exclaimed Colonel Delmar;
"I regret very much that he has ever come here. I know that some years
ago, when he was younger, he fought two or three duels rather than make
an apology; but in this instance it was so unprovoked, and I had hoped
that he had got over all that nonsense and obstinacy. Are you a good
shot, Keene? because he is a notorious one."
"I can hit my man, colonel; it is true that I have only fought one duel
in my life, and would make a great sacrifice rather than fight another;
but no alternative is left me in this case; and if blood is shed, it
must be on the head of him who provoked it."
"Very true," replied Colonel Delmar, biting his lip; "I only hope you
will be successful."
"I have no particular animosity against Major Stapleton," replied I;
"but as he is such a good shot, I shall in my own defence take good aim
at him. At all events, I have sufficient acquaintance with fire-arms,
and have passed through too many bullets not to be cool and collected
under fire, and I therefore consider myself quite a match for the major.
Now, colonel, if you will order the breakfast, I will be down in ten
minutes or a quarter of an hour."
As the colonel was going out of the room, his servant knocked at the
door, and said that Captain Green wished to speak to him on particular
business; I therefore did not hurry myself, but proceeded quietly with
my toilet, as I was well aware what the particular business was, and
that the conference might last some time. On my descending into the
sitting-room I found the colonel alone.
"Well, Keene," said he, "everything is arranged, for the major is deaf
to all expostulation. You are to meet this evening, and, to avoid
interference, Captain Green and I have agreed to say that the major has
apologised, and all is made up." Of course I had no objection to make
to that, and we parted for the present, I walking to the dock-yard, and
he remaining at the hotel to write letters.
The reader may think that I took matters very coolly; but the fact was,
I had no preparations to make in case of accident, having no wife or
family, and as to any other preparations at such a time, I considered
them as mockery. I knew that I was about to do what was wrong--to
offend my Creator--and knowing that, and sinning with my eyes open, much
as I regretted that I was compelled to do so, I was still resolved upon
doing it. How great may be the culpability in such cases when you are
called upon to sacrifice all your worldly interests, and to be despised
among men, or run the risk of involuntarily taking another person's
life, I could not pretend to judge; but one thing was certain, that,
however it may be judged in the next world, in this, among soldiers and
sailors, it will always be considered as venial. I did, therefore, what
most in my profession would have done under the same circumstances. I
drove it from my thoughts as much as possible, until the time came to
decide my fate. I considered that I must be judged by the tenor of my
whole life, and that repentance, under chance of death, was of about the
same value as death-bed repentance.
As soon as the dock-yard men were mustered out, I returned to the hotel,
and sat down to dinner with the colonel. We had scarcely finished a
bottle of claret when it was time to be off. We walked out of the town,
to the place appointed, where I found my adversary and his second. The
ground was marked out by the colonel, and, when I took my station, I
found that the setting sun was in my eyes. I pointed it out to him, and
requested my position might be changed. The other second heard me do
so, and very handsomely agreed that I was entitled to what I asked, and
the colonel immediately apologised for his remissness to my interests.
The ground was then marked out in another direction, and the colonel
took me to my place, where I observed that one of the white-washed posts
was exactly behind me, making me a sure mark for my antagonist. "I am
not used to these things, Keene," replied Colonel Delmar, "and I make
strange mistakes." I then pointed out a direction which would be fair
for both parties. The pistols were then loaded, and put into our hands.
We fired at the signal. I felt that I was hit, but my adversary fell.
I was paralysed; and although I remained on my feet, I could not move.
Captain Green and the colonel went up to where my adversary lay: the
ball had passed through his chest.
"He is dead," said Captain Green--"quite dead."
"Yes," replied Colonel Delmar. "My dear Keene, I congratulate you: you
have killed the greatest scoundrel that ever disgraced his Majesty's
uniform."
"Colonel Delmar," replied Captain Green, "the observation might well be
spared: our errors and our follies die with us."
"Very true, Captain Green," replied I. "I can only express my surprise
that the colonel should have introduced to me a person whose memory he
now so bitterly assails." Somehow or another, from the commencement of
the duel, Colonel Delmar's conduct had excited my suspicions, and a
hundred things crowded into my memory, which appeared as if illumined
like a flash of lightning. I came suddenly to the conviction that he
was my enemy, and not my friend. But I was bleeding fast: some marines,
who were passing, were summoned, and the body of Major Stapleton was
carried away by one party, while I was committed to another, and taken
back to the hotel. The surgeon was sent for, and my wound was not
dangerous. The ball had gone deep into my thigh, but had missed any
vessel of magnitude. It was extracted, and I was left quiet in bed.
Colonel Delmar came up to me as before, but I received his professions
with great coolness. I told him that I thought it would be prudent of
him to disappear until the affair had blown over; but he declared to me
that he would remain with me at every risk. Shortly afterwards, Captain
Green came into my room, and said, "I'm sure, Captain Keene, you will be
glad to hear that Major Stapleton is not dead. He had swooned, and is
now come to, and the doctor thinks favourably of him."
"I am indeed very glad, Captain Green; for I had no animosity against
the major, and his conduct to me has been quite incomprehensible."
After inquiry about my wound, and expressing a hope that I should soon
be well, Captain Green left; but I observed that he took no further
notice of Colonel Delmar than a haughty salute as he quitted the room;
and then, to my surprise, Colonel Delmar said that, upon consideration,
he thought it would be advisable for him to go away for a certain time.
"I agree with you," replied I; "it would be better." I said this,
because I did not wish his company; for it at once struck me as very
strange that he should, now that Major Stapleton was alive and promising
to do well, talk of departure, when he refused at the time he supposed
him to be killed. I was therefore very glad when in an hour or two
afterwards he took his leave, and started, as he said, for London.