“It is a subject on which I can no longer hold any secrecy,” said the Knight, haughtily. “Bagenal, you were quite correct in your surmise. Mr. O'Reilly not only intended us the honor of an alliance, but offered to merge the ancient glories of his house by assuming the more humble name and shield of Darcy.” “What! eh! did I hear aright?” said Daly, with a broken voice; while, walking to the window, he looked down into the lawn beneath, as if calculating the height from the ground. “By Heaven, Darcy, you 're the best-tempered fellow in Europe--that 's all,” he muttered, as he walked away. The door opened at this moment, and the shock bullet head of a bailiff appeared. “That's Mr. Daly! there he is!” cried out O'Reilly, who, pale with passion and trembling all over, supported himself against the back of a chair with one hand, while with the other he pointed to where Daly stood. “In that case,” said the fellow, entering, while he drew a slip of paper from his breast, “I 'll take the opportunity of sarvin' him where he stands.” “One step nearer! one step!” said Daly, as he took a pistol from the pocket of his coat. The man hesitated and looked at O'Reilly, as if for advice or encouragement; but terror and rage had now deprived him of all self-possession, and he neither spoke nor signed to him. “Leave the room, sir,” said the Knight, with a motion of his hand to the bailiff; and the ruffian, whose office had familiarized him long with scenes of outrage and violence, shrank back ashamed and abashed, and slipped from the room without a word. “I believe, Mr. O'Reilly,” continued Darcy, with an accent calm and unmoved,--“I believe our conference is now concluded. I will not insult your own acuteness by saying how unnecessary I feel any reply to your demand.” “In that case,” said O'Reilly, “may I presume that there is no objection to proceed with those legal formalities which, although begun without my knowledge, may be effected now as well as at any other period?” “Darcy, there is but one way of dealing with that gentleman--” “Bagenal, I must insist upon your leaving this matter solely with me.” “Depend upon it, sir, your interests will not gain by your friend's counsels,” said O'Reilly, with an insolent sneer. “Such another remark from your lips,” said Darcy, sternly, “would make me follow them, if they went so far as--” “Throwing him neck and heels out of that window,” broke in Daly; “for I own to you it's the course I 'd have taken half an hour ago.” “I wish you good morning, Mr. Darcy,” said O'Reilly, addressing him for the first time by the name of his family instead of his usual designation; and without vouchsafing a word to Daly, he retired from the room. It was not until O'Reilly's carriage drove past the window that either Darcy or his friend uttered a syllable; they stood apparently lost in thought up to that moment, when the noise of wheels and the tramp of horses aroused them.