conduct themselves with propriety:  but there had been a law-suit between a French and English suitor, and the Judge pronounced sentence in favour of our countryman.  The hall was crowded with spectators, and among them was a plentiful number of law-students.  As they were retiring, one young Frenchman either made frightful faces, or contemptible gestures, in a very fixed and insulting manner, at a young Englishman—­the son of this naval captain.  Our countryman had no means or power of noticing or resenting the insult, as the aggressor was surrounded by his companions.  It so happened that it was fair time at Caen; and in the evening of the same day, our countryman recognised, in the crowd at the fair, the physiognomy of the young man who had insulted him in the hall of justice.  He approached him, and gave him to understand that his rude behaviour should be noticed at a proper time and in a proper place:  whereupon the Frenchman came up to him, shook him violently by the arm, and told him to “fix his distance on the ensuing morning.”  Now the habit of duelling is very common among these law-students; but they measure twenty-five paces, fire, and of course ...  MISS—­and then fancy themselves great heroes ... and there is an end of the affair.  Not so upon the present occasion.  “Fifteen paces,” if you please—­said the student, sarcastically, with a conviction of the backwardness of his opponent to meet him.  “FIVE, rather”—­exclaimed the provoked Englishman—­“I will fight you at FIVE paces:”—­and it was agreed that they should meet and fight on the morrow, at five paces only asunder.

Each party was under twenty; but I believe the English youth had scarcely attained his nineteenth year.  What I am about to relate will cause your flesh to creep.  It was determined by the seconds, as one must necessarily fall, from firing at so short a distance, that only one pistol should be loaded with ball:  the other having nothing but powder:—­and that, as the Frenchman had challenged, he was to have the choice of the pistols.  They parted.  The seconds prepared the pistols according to agreement, and the fatal morning came.  The combatants appeared, without one jot of abatement of spirit or of cool courage.  The pistols lay upon the grass before them:  one loaded only with powder, and the other with powder and ball.  The Frenchman advanced:  took up a pistol, weighed and balanced it most carefully in his hand, and then ... laid it down.  He seized the other pistol, and cocking it, fixed himself upon the spot from whence he was to fire.  The English youth was necessarily compelled to take the abandoned pistol.  Five paces were then measured ... and on the signal being given, they both fired ... and the Frenchman fell ...  DEAD UPON THE SPOT!  The Frenchman had in fact taken up, but afterwards laid down, the very pistol which was loaded with the fatal ball—­on the supposition that it was of too light a weight;