Esmond had not seen the hateful handsome face of Mohun for nine years, since they had met on that fatal night in Leicester Field.  It was degraded with crime and passion now; it wore the anxious look of a man who has three deaths, and who knows how many hidden shames, and lusts, and crimes on his conscience.  He bowed with a sickly low bow, and slunk away when our host presented us round to one another.  Frank Castlewood had not known him till then, so changed was he.  He knew the boy well enough.

’Twas curious to look at the two—­especially the young man, whose face flushed up when he heard the hated name of the other; and who said in his bad French and his brave boyish voice—­“He had long been anxious to meet my Lord Mohun.”  The other only bowed, and moved away from him.  I do him justice, he wished to have no quarrel with the lad.

Esmond put himself between them at table.  “D—–­ it,” says Frank, “why do you put yourself in the place of a man who is above you in degree?  My Lord Mohun should walk after me.  I want to sit by my Lord Mohun.”

Esmond whispered to Lord Mohun, that Frank was hurt in the leg at Oudenarde; and besought the other to be quiet.  Quiet enough he was for some time; disregarding the many taunts which young Castlewood flung at him, until after several healths, when my Lord Mohun got to be rather in liquor.

“Will you go away, my lord?” Mr. Esmond said to him, imploring him to quit the table.

“No, by G—­,” says my Lord Mohun.  “I’ll not go away for any man;” he was quite flushed with wine by this time.

The talk got round to the affairs of yesterday.  Webb had offered to challenge the Commander-in-Chief:  Webb had been ill-used:  Webb was the bravest, handsomest, vainest man in the army.  Lord Mohun did not know that Esmond was Webb’s aide-de-camp.  He began to tell some stories against the General; which, from t’other side of Esmond, young Castlewood contradicted.

“I can’t bear any more of this,” says my Lord Mohun.

“Nor can I, my lord,” says Mr. Esmond, starting up.  “The story my Lord Mohun has told respecting General Webb is false, gentlemen—­false, I repeat,” and making a low bow to Lord Mohun, and without a single word more, Esmond got up and left the dining-room.  These affairs were common enough among the military of those days.  There was a garden behind the house, and all the party turned instantly into it; and the two gentlemen’s coats were off and their points engaged within two minutes after Esmond’s words had been spoken.  If Captain Esmond had put Mohun out of the world, as he might, a villain would have been punished and spared further villanies—­but who is one man to punish another?  I declare upon my honor that my only thought was to prevent Lord Mohun from mischief with Frank, and the end of this meeting was, that after half a dozen passes my lord went home with a hurt which prevented him from lifting his right arm for three months.