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74 laughter, in which the Captain himself was obliged to join, after which he became greatly attached to his young tormentor. The Captain, who was a bachelor, paid marked attention to the elder Miss Forbes, by which means he and Charlie became great cronies, which not a little annoyed John Lom, who had not been introduced by either to the family. This dog-in-the-manger conduct, as John Lom called it, proceeded from the Captain's fearing the rivalship of the handsome Ensign if once presented to the Forbes's.

One evening, while the three friends were discussing a tumbler of hot punch, Charlie gave the officers an amusing account of an old and eccentric uncle of the Forbes's, whom he once saw at Mr. McKay's. This strange person had been a captain in the Company's service in India, where he had accumulated a large fortune, and where he also obtained the name of being the greatest duellist and most certain shot in that part. His name was John McDonald, and was known by the sobriquet "Fighting Jack." Charlie was told that he had never visited the Forbes's, neither had the advocate ever seen him; the only time he visited Scotland was when Charlie saw him at Mr. McKay's, and, although the speaker was then very young, "Fighting Jack's" appearance was still fresh in his memory, and which he minutely described to his hearers.

Captain Campbell was highly delighted with Charlie's news, and hoped that he might some day meet with this wealthy relation, and be induced to bestow a slice of his riches on Miss Forbes, the Captain's intended.

The conversation now turned upon a private ball, which was to be given next evening, in honor of Miss Forbes having attained her twentieth birthday. The Captain was in ecstacies; being, as he thought, the leading and greatest favorite, that he would hold the highest position on the occasion, and commenced as usual to twitttwit [sic] the disappointed Ensign for not being on the same intimate footing as himself and Charlie. At this teasing, John Lom offered to lay a wager that he would go to the ball uninvited, be more hospitably received than any one there by the host, kiss the daughters, and get