After the fourth ineffectual exchange Major Wood tried to make peace between the duellists.  But Colonel King turned a deaf ear alike to his second and to Fitzgerald, to whom he said:  “You are a ——­ villain, and I will not hear a word you have to offer!” Once more the duellists took up their positions, three more shots were exchanged without the least effect, and, as Fitzgerald’s ammunition was now exhausted, the combatants left the ground, after making another appointment for the next day.  The next day, however, both were placed temporarily under lock and key, to prevent a further breach of the peace.

Meanwhile, the unhappy girl had been rescued from the Kennington lodging-house, and taken back to the family seat at Mitchelstown, where at least she ought to be safe from further harm from the scoundrelly Fitzgerald.  The Kings, however, had not reckoned on the desperate, vindictive nature of the man, who was now more resolute than ever to get Mary into his power.

Disguising himself, he journeyed to Cork, carrying the fight into the enemy’s camp.  He took up his quarters at the Mitchelstown Inn to develop his plans for a second abduction.  But in his scheming Fitzgerald had literally “bargained without his host,” who chanced to be an old trusted retainer of the King family, and who from the first was not a little suspicious of the strange guest, who kept so mysteriously indoors all day and walked abroad at night.

No honest man would act in this secretive way, he thought.  There had been strange “goings-on” lately; and the least he could do was to communicate his fears to Lord Kingsborough, in case his guest should be “up to some mischief.”  His lordship, who was away from home, hurried back to Mitchelstown, convinced, from the description, that the suspected man was none other than Fitzgerald himself, and arrived at the inn only to discover that the bird had already flown.

Luckily, it was no difficult matter to trace the fugitive in the wilds of County Cork.  The postboy who had driven him was easily found, and from him it was learnt that the stranger had been put down at the Kilworth Hotel.  There was no time to be lost.  Jumping on to his horse, Lord Kingsborough accompanied by his son, the Colonel, raced as fast as spurs and whip could take him to Kilworth, and demanded to see the newly-arrived guest at the hotel.  A waiter, despatched to the guest’s room, returned with the announcement that his door was locked, and that he refused to see any one.  But the pursuers had heard and recognised the voice through the closed door.  It was Fitzgerald himself.