The Sun.
London, England, 1862-06-30 00:00:00

THE DUEL IN THE FOG.

Directing the monkish:torchbearers to march in advance,
Tilbury put himself at their head, and proceeded cautiously
along a covered walk leading to the bowling-green, which
they luckily reached without further hindrance.
After a brief consultation between Tom Potter and Tra-
descant, the whole party proceeded to what they judged to
be the centre of the green, and having ascertained by hold-
ing down the links that the mound was free from obstruc-
tion of any kind, they at once prepared for the business in
hand ; the fist care of the seconds being to place the torch-
bearers in such a position that no undue advantage should
be given to either side.
This was a task of some little difficulty, as the seconds
could net exactly agree, but at length it was satisfactorily
accomplished. Four of the monks were arranged in a
square, one at each corner, and exactly four yards apart,
while the fifth man was ordered to stand beside the com-
batants. Those at the corners were enjoined to remain
perfectly motionless whatever might occur, but the central
torchbearer might follow the movements of the combs.-
tants, but must be careful to keep out of the way, and
distribute the light as carefully as possible. The links
at each angle were to be held aloft, and not waved or shifted
on any account, but the central torch was not to be so
much elevated, and might be raised or lowered according
to the exigencies of the moment, at the discretion of the
bearer. Not a word was to be uttered by any of the torch-
bearers.
These regulations made, the two antagonists, who by this
time had divested themselves of coat and waistcoat, stepped
into the square, while the seconds retired, and the rest of
the party, who looked on with considerable interest, grouped
themselves around.

At this moment the scene was exceedingly picturesque,
and must have delighted the artistic eye of Mr. l ilbury.
Seen through the thick tawny vapour with which the torch-
light ineffectually contended, the monkish figures, cowled
and gowned, had a strange fantastic effect, and looked like
assistants at some dread and mysterious ceremonial.
Viewed through the same opaque medium, and only im-
perfectly distinguished by the spectators, the chief actors
in this singular scene had an equal .y ghostly appearance,
and by a very slight stretch of the imagination might have
been taken for phantom of fierce duellists who had perished
by each other's hands, and had been summoned from a
bloody grave to renew their strife.

Descriptions such-' as these evidence, agreeably
enough, that Harrison Ainsworth's hand is still
well "in" as a master romancist ! His hero, Tra-
descant, appears, in the present instalment of the
narrative, quite as an altered character. Prue has
changed him! Herbert is no longer his foe, but
his intimate. The gay young " blood" has cooled
down, and taken, at length, amiably enough to the
drapery line of business! To Tom Potter's in-
credulity. To the Lady Mayoress's disgust, and
to that of her two lady daughters. To the Lord
Mayor's eminent satisfaction. But, most of all to
the extatic delight of Old Bow Bells. Candish,
of course, has had his share in this amazing
transformation ; the result of which, it is not im-
possible already to perceive, will end in Prue and
Tradescant making a match of it, and living happily
together for ever afterwards.