engaged　in　close　and　deadly　strife。
  Captain　N　was　far　the　stronger　of
  the　two；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　O'Mara
  possessed　far　more　skill　in　the　use　of　the
  fatal　weapon　which　they　employed。　But
  the　narrowness　of　the　room　rendered　this
  advantage　hardly　available。
  Almost　instantly　O'Mara　received　a
  slight　wound　upon　the　forehead；　which；
  though　little　more　than　a　scratch；　bled　so
  fast　as　to　obstruct　his　sight　considerably。
  Those　who　have　used　the　foil　can　tell
  how　slight　a　derangement　of　eye　or　of
  hand　is　sufficient　to　determine　a　contest　of
  this　kind；　and　this　knowledge　will　prevent
  their　being　surprised　when　I　say；　that；
  spite　of　O'Mara's　superior　skill　and
  practice；　his　adversary's　sword　passed
  twice　through　and　through　his　body；　and
  he　fell　heavily　and　helplessly　upon　the
  floor　of　the　chamber。
  Without　saying　a　word；　the　successful
  combatant　quitted　the　room　along　with
  his　companion；　leaving　Dwyer　to　shift
  as　best　he　might　for　his　fallen　comrade。
  With　the　assistance　of　some　of　the
  wondering　menials　of　the　place；　Dwyer
  succeeded　in　conveying　the　wounded　man
  into　an　adjoining　room；　where　he　was　laid
  upon　a　bed；　in　a　state　bordering　upon
  insensibilitythe　blood　flowing；　I　might
  say　WELLING；　from　the　wounds　so　fast　as
  to　show　that　unless　the　bleeding　were
  speedily　and　effectually　stopped；　he　could
  not　live　for　half　an　hour。
  Medical　aid　was；　of　course；　instantly
  procured；　and　Colonel　O'Mara；　though　at
  the　time　seriously　indisposed；　was　urgently
  requested　to　attend　without　loss　of　time。
  He　did　so；　but　human　succour　and
  support　were　all　too　late。　The　wound　had
  been　truly　dealtthe　tide　of　life　had　ebbed；
  and　his　father　had　not　arrived　five　minutes
  when　young　O'Mara　was　a　corpse。　His
  body　rests　in　the　vaults　of　Christ　Church；　in
  Dublin；　without　a　stone　to　mark　the　spot。
  The　counsels　of　the　wicked　are　always
  dark；　and　their　motives　often　beyond
  fathoming；　and　strange；　unaccountable；
  incredible　as　it　may　seem；　I　do　believe；
  and　that　upon　evidence　so　clear　as　to
  amount　almost　to　demonstration；　that
  Heathcote's　visit　to　Dublinhis　betrayal
  of　the　secretand　the　final　and　terrible
  catastrophe　which　laid　O'Mara　in　the
  grave；　were　brought　about　by　no　other
  agent　than　Dwyer　himself。
  I　have　myself　seen　the　letter　which
  induced　that　visit。　The　handwriting　is
  exactly　what　I　have　seen　in　other　alleged
  specimens　of　Dwyer's　penmanship。　It　is
  written　with　an　affectation　of　honest　alarm
  at　O'Mara's　conduct；　and　expresses　a
  conviction　that　if　some　of　Lady　Emily's
  family　be　not　informed　of　O'Mara's　real
  situation；　nothing　could　prevent　his
  concluding　with　her　an　advantageous　alliance；
  then　upon　the　tapis；　and　altogether　throwing
  off　his　allegiance　to　Ellena　step
  which；　as　the　writer　candidly　asserted；
  would　finally　conduce　as　inevitably　to　his
  own　disgrace　as　it　immediately　would　to
  her　ruin　and　misery。
  The　production　was　formally　signed
  with　Dwyer's　name；　and　the　postscript
  contained　a　strict　injunction　of　secrecy；
  asserting　that　if　it　were　ascertained　that
  such　an　epistle　had　been　despatched　from
  such　a　quarter；　it　would　be　attended　with
  the　total　ruin　of　the　writer。
  It　is　true　that　Dwyer；　many　years　after；
  when　this　letter　came　to　light；　alleged　it　to
  be　a　forgery；　an　assertion　whose　truth；
  even　to　his　dying　hour；　and　long　after　he
  had　apparently　ceased　to　feel　the　lash　of
  public　scorn；　he　continued　obstinately　to
  maintain。　Indeed　this　matter　is　full　of
  mystery；　for；　revenge　alone　excepted；
  which　I　believe；　in　such　minds　as　Dwyer's；
  seldom　overcomes　the　sense　of　interest；
  the　only　intelligible　motive　which　could
  have　prompted　him　to　such　an　act　was　the
  hope　that　since　he　had；　through　young
  O'Mara's　interest；　procured　from　the
  colonel　a　lease　of　a　small　farm　upon　the
  terms　which　he　had　originally　stipulated；
  he　might　prosecute　his　plan　touching　the
  property　of　Martin　Heathcote；　rendering
  his　daughter's　hand　free　by　the　removal　of
  young　O'Mara。　This　appears　to　me　too
  complicated　a　plan　of　villany　to　have
  entered　the　mind　even　of　such　a　man　as
  Dwyer。　I　must；　therefore；　suppose　his
  motives　to　have　originated　out　of
  circumstances　connected　with　this　story　which
  may　not　have　come　to　my　ear；　and　perhaps
  never　will。
  Colonel　O'Mara　felt　the　death　of　his
  son　more　deeply　than　I　should　have
  thought　possible；　but　that　son　had　been
  the　last　being　who　had　continued　to
  interest　his　cold　heart。　Perhaps　the　pride
  which　he　felt　in　his　child　had　in　it　more　of
  selfishness　than　of　any　generous　feeling。
  But；　be　this　as　it　may；　the　melancholy
  circumstances　connected　with　Ellen
  Heathcote　had　reached　him；　and　his
  conduct　towards　her　proved；　more　strongly
  than　anything　else　could　have　done；　that
  he　felt　keenly　and　justly；　and；　to　a　certain
  degree；　with　a　softened　heart；　the　fatal
  event　of　which　she　had　been；　in　some
  manner；　alike　the　cause　and　the　victim。
  He　evinced　not　towards　her；　as　might
  have　been　expected；　any　unreasonable
  resentment。　On　the　contrary；　he　exhibited
  great　consideration；　even　tenderness；　for
  her　situation；　and　having　ascertained
  where　his　son　had　placed　her；　he　issued
  strict　orders　that　she　should　not　be
  disturbed；　and　that　the　fatal　tidings；　which
  had　not　yet　reached　her；　should　be　withheld
  until　they　might　be　communicated　in
  such　a　way　as　to　soften　as　much　as
  possible　the　inevitable　shock。
  These　last　directions　were　acted　upon
  too　scrupulously　and　too　long；　and；
  indeed；　I　am　satisfied　that　had　the　event
  been　communicated　at　once；　however
  terrible　and　overwhelming　the　shock
  might　have　been；　much　of　the　bitterest
  anguish；　of　sickening　doubts；　of　harassing
  suspense；　would　have　been　spared　her；
  and　the　first　tempestuous　burst　of　sorrow
  having　passed　over；　her　chastened　spirit
  might　have　recovered　its　tone；　and　her　life
  have　been　spared。　But　the　mistaken
  kindness　which　concealed　from　her　the
  dreadful　truth；　instead　of　relieving　her
  mind　of　a　burden　which　it　could　not　support；
  laid　upon　it　a　weight　of　horrible
  fears　and　doubts　as　to　the　affection　of
  O'Mara；　compared　with　which　even　the
  certainty　of　his　death　would　have　been
  tolerable。
  One　evening　I　had　just　seated　myself
  beside　a　cheerful　turf　fire；　with　that　true
  relish　which　a　long　cold　ride　through　a
  bleak　and　shelterless　country　affords；
  stretching　my　chilled　limbs　to　meet　the
  genial　influence；　and　imbibing　the　warmth
  at　every　pore；　when　my　comfortable
  meditations　were　interrupted　by　a　long
  and　sonorous　ringing　at　the　door…bell
  evidently　effected　by　no　timid　hand。
  A　messenger　had　arrived　to　request　my
  attendance　at　the　Lodgesuch　was　the
  name　which　distinguished　a　small　and
  somewhat　antiquated　building；　occupying
  a　peculiarly　secluded　position　among　the
  bleak　and　heathy　hills　which　varied　the
  surface　of　that　not　altogether　uninteresting
  district；　and　which　had；　I　believe；　been
  employed　by　the　keen　and　hardy　ancestors
  of　the　O'Mara　family　as　a　convenient
  temporary　residence　during　the　sporting
  season。
  Thither　my　attendance　was　required；　in
  order　to　administer　to　a　deeply　distressed
  lady　such　comforts　as　an　afflicted　mind　can
  gather　from　the　sublime　hopes　and　consolations
  of　Christianity。
  I　had　long　suspected　that　the　occupant
  of　this　sequestered；　I　might　say　desolate；
  dwelling…house　was　the　poor　girl　whose
  brief　story　we　are　following；　and　feeling　a
  keen　interest　in　her　fateas　who　that　had
  ever　seen　her　DID　NOT？I　started　from　my
  comfortable　seat　with　more　eager　alacrity
  than；　I　will　confess　it；　I　might　have
  evinced　had　my　duty　called　me　in　another
  direction。
  In　a　few　minutes　I　was　trotting　rapidly
  onward；　preceded　by　my　guide；　who　urged
  his　horse　with　the　remorseless　rapidity　of
  one　who　seeks　by　the　speed　of　his　progress
  to　escape　observation。　Over　roads　and
  through　bogs　we　splashed　and　clattered；
  until　at　length　traversing　the　brow　of　a
  wild　and　rocky　hill；　whose　aspect　seemed
  so　barren　and　forbidding　that　it　might
  have　been　a　lasting　barrier　alike　to　mortal
  sight　and　step；　the　lonely　building　became
  visible；　lying　in　a　kind　of　swampy　flat；
  with　a　broad　reedy　pond　or　lake　stretching
  away　to　its　side；　and　backed　by　a　farther
  range　of　monotonous　sweeping　hills；
  marked　with　irregular　lines　of　grey　rock；
  which；　in　the　distance；　bore　a　rude　and
  colossal　resemblance　to　the　walls　of　a
  fortification。
  Riding　with　undiminished　speed　along
  a　kind　of　wild　horse…track；　we　turned　the
  corner　of　a　high　and　somewhat　ruinous
  wall　of　loose　stones；　and　making　a　sudden
  wheel　we　found　ourselves　in　a　small
  quadrangle；　surmounted　on　two　sides　by
  dilapidated　stables　and　kennels；　on
  another　by　a　broken　stone　wall；　and　upon
  the　fourth　by　the　front　of　the　lodge　itself。
  The　whole　character　of　the　place　was　that
  of　dreary　des