Part 23 (1/2)

Coings: let us find a rooe this most unhappy affair Come”

And, followed by Hoffland, Mowbray took his way sadly toward the ”Raleigh”

CHAPTER XIV

HOSTILE CORRESPONDENCE

We regard it as a very fortunate circumstance that the manuscript record of what followed, or did not follow, the events just related, has been faithfully preserved A simple transcription of the papers will do aith the necessity of relating the particulars in detail; and so we hasten to present the reader with the correspondence, prefacing it with the observation that the affair kept the town or city of Williareat suspense for thole days

I

”Mr HOFFLAND:

”You insulted a lady in , and I demand from you a retraction of all that you uttered I a, but you will understandyour answer

I am your obed't serv't,

”J DENIS”

II

”Mr DENIS:

”For you know you begin 'Mr Hoffland!' as if you said, 'Stand and deliver!'--I have read your note, and I a that, unfortunately, I have never had an _affair_, which is a great pity, for I would then knorite beautiful long sentences that no one could possibly fail to understand

”You demand a retraction, your note says I don't like 'dee the letters slightly, itword, such as is used by profane young men Then 'retraction' is so hard For you know I said I was handsome: must I take back that? Then I said that I could not marry the lady we quarrelled about: must I say I can? I can't tell a story, and I assure you on entleman!--that I cannot marry Lucy!

”You see I can't take it back, and if you were to eat ry you were!

”In haste,

”Charles HOFFLAND”

III

”Mr HOFFLAND:

”Your note is not satisfactory at all I did not quarrel with your opinion of yourself, and you know it I was not foolish enough to be angry at your declaring that you were engaged to some lady already You spoke of a lady who is ain that I am not satisfied

”Your obed't serv't,