“Nevertheless,” said I, “it is impossible.”

“That remains to be seen, Mr. Vibart,” said he, and speaking, turned upon his heel.

“One moment,” said I, “was not your cousin, Sir Jasper, of the middle height, slim-built and fair-haired, with a habit of plucking at his lips when at all nervous or excited?”

“Exactly; you know him, sir?”

“No,” I answered, “but I have seen him, very lately, and I say again to stop this duel is an impossibility.”

“Do you mean—­” he began, and paused.  Now, as his eyes met mine, the battered hat escaped his fingers, and lay all unheeded.  “Do you mean—­” he began again, and again stopped.

“Yes,” said I, “I mean that you are too late.  Sir Jasper was killed at a place called Deepdene Wood, no longer since than to-day at half-past seven in the morning.  It was raining at the time, I remember, but the day grew glorious later.”

For a long moment Mr. Beverley stood silent with bent head, then, apparently becoming aware of the hat at his feet, he sent it flying with a sudden kick, and watched it describe a wide parabola ere it disappeared into the ditch, some yards away.  Which done, he walked after it, and returned, brushing it very carefully with his ragged cuff.

“And—­you are sure—­quite sure, Mr. Vibart?” he inquired, smoothing the broken brim with the greatest solicitude.

“I stood behind a hedge, and watched it done,” said I.

“Then—­my God!—­I am Sir Peregrine Beverley!  I am Sir Peregrine Beverley of Burnham Hall, very much at your service.  Jasper—­dead!  A knight banneret of Kent, and Justice of the Peace!  How utterly preposterous it all sounds!  But to-day I begin life anew, ah, yes, a new life, a new life!  To-day all things are possible again!  The fool has learned wisdom, and, I hope, become a man.  But come,” said he in a more natural tone, “let us get back to our ditch, and, while you tell me the particulars, if you don’t object I should much like to try a whiff at that pipe of yours.”

So, while I recounted the affair as briefly as I might, he sat puffing at my pipe, and staring away into the distance.  But gradually his head sank lower and lower, until his face was quite hidden from me, and for a long moment after I had ended my narration, there was silence.

“Poor Jasper!” said he at last, without raising his head, “poor old Jasper!”

“I congratulate you, Sir Peregrine,” said I.

“And I used to pummel him so, when we were boys together at Eton —­poor old Jasper!” And, presently, he handed me my pipe, and rose.  “Mr. Vibart,” said he, “it would seem that by no effort, or virtue of my own, I am to win free of this howling desolation of Nowhere-in-Particular, after all; believe me, I would gladly take you with me.  Had I not met with you it is—­rather more than probable—­that I—­should never have seen another dawn; so if—­if ever I can be of—­use to you, pray honor me so far; you can always hear of me at Burnham Hall, Pembry.  Good-by, Mr. Vibart, I am going to her—­in all my rags—­for I am a man again.”