You have challenged me, and, fancying the offence sufficient, you
     defy me to mortal combat. If, therefore, I fight with any one at
     all, it must be with you. "You will clearly understand me, sir, that I do not accuse you of
     being at all party to this freak of intellect of your uncle's. He, no doubt, alone conceived it, with a laudable desire on his
     part of serving you. If, however, to meet me, do so to-night, in
     the middle of the park surrounding your own friends estate. "There is a pollard oak growing close to a small pool; you, no
     doubt, have noticed the spot often. Meet me there, if you please,
     and any satisfaction you like I will give you, at twelve o'clock
     this night. "Come alone, or you will not see me. It shall be at your own
     option entirely, to convert the meeting into a hostile one or
     not. You need send me no answer to this. If you are at the place
     I mention at the time I have named, well and good. If you an not,
     I can only, if I please, imagine that you shrink from a meeting
     with

     "FRANCIS VARNEY." Charles Holland read this letter twice over carefully, and then folding
it up, and placing it in his pocket, he said,--

"Yes, I will meet him; he may be assured that I will meet him. He shall
find that I do not shrink from Francis Varney In the name of honour,
love, virtue, and Heaven, I will meet this man, and it shall go hard
with me but I will this night wring from him the secret of what he
really is. For the sake of her who is so dear to me--for her sake, I
will meet this man, or monster, be he what he may." It would have been far more prudent had Charles informed Henry
Bannerworth or George of his determination to meet the vampyre that
evening, but he did not do so. Somehow he fancied it would be some
reproach against his courage if he did not go, and go alone, too, for he
could not help suspecting that, from the conduct of his uncle, Sir
Francis Varney might have got up an opinion inimical to his courage. With all the eager excitement of youth, there was nothing that arrayed
itself to his mind in such melancholy and uncomfortable colours as an
imputation upon his courage. "I will show this vampyre, if he be such," he said, "that I am not
afraid to meet him, and alone, too, at his own hour--at midnight, even
when, if his preternatural powers be of more avail to him than at any
other time, he can attempt, if he dare, to use them." Charles resolved upon going armed, and with the greatest care he loaded
his pistols, and placed them aside ready for action, when the time
should come to set out to meet the vampyre at the spot in the park which
had been particularly alluded to in his letter. This spot was perfectly well known to Charles; indeed, no one could be a
single day at Bannerworth Hall without noticing it, so prominent an
object was that pollard oak, standing, as it did, alone, with the
beautiful green sward all around it. Near to it was the pool which hid
been mentioned, which was, in reality, a fish-pond, and some little
distance off commenced the thick plantation, among the intricacies of
which Sir Francis Varney, or the vampyre, had been supposed to
disappear, after the revivification of his body at the full of the moon. This spot was in view of several of the windows of the house, so that if
the night should happen to be a very light one, and any of the
inhabitants of the Hall should happen to have the curiosity to look from
those particular windows, no doubt the meeting between Charles Holland
and the vampyre would be seen. This, however, was a contingency which was nothing to Charles, whatever
it might be to Sir Francis Varney, and he scarcely at all considered it
as worth consideration. He felt more happy and comfortable now that
everything seemed to be definitively arranged by which he could come to
some sort of explanation with that mysterious being who had so
effectually, as yet, succeeded in destroying his peace of mind and his
prospects of happiness. "I will this night force him to declare himself," thought Charles. "He
shall tell me who and what he really is, and by some means I will
endeavour to put an end to those frightful persecutions which Flora has
suffered." This was a thought which considerably raised Charles's spirits, and when
he sought Flora again, which he now did, she was surprised to see him so
much more easy and composed in his mind, which was sufficiently shown by
his manner, than he had been but so short a time before. "Charles," she said, "what has happened to give such an impetus to your
spirits?" "Nothing, dear Flora, nothing; but I have been endeavouring to throw
from my mind all gloomy thoughts, and to convince myself that in the
future you and I, dearest, may yet be very happy." "Oh, Charles, if I could but think so." "Endeavour, Flora, to think so. Remember how much our happiness is
always in our own power, Flora, and that, let fate do her worst, so long
as we are true to each other, we have a recompense for every ill."

"Oh, indeed, Charles, that is a dear recompense." "And it is well that no force of circumstances short of death itself can
divide us." "True, Charles, true, and I am more than ever now bound to look upon you
with a loving heart; for have you not clung to me generously under
circumstances which, if any at all could have justified you in rending
asunder every tie which bound us together, surely would have done so
most fully." "It is misfortune and distress that tries love," said Charles. "It is
thus that the touchstone is applied to see if it be current gold indeed,
or some base metal, which by a superficial glitter imitates it." "And your love is indeed true gold." "I am unworthy of one glance from those dear eyes if it were not." "Oh, if we could but go from here I think then we might be happy. A
strong impression is upon my mind, and has been so for some time, that
these persecutions to which I have been subjected are peculiar to this
house." "Think you so?" "I do, indeed!" "It may be so, Flora. You are aware that your brother has made up his
mind that he will leave the Hall." "Yes, yes." "And that only in deference to an expressed wish of mine he put off the
carrying such a resolve into effect for a few days." "He said so much." "Do not, however, imagine, dearest Flora, that those few days will be
idly spent." "Nay, Charles, I could not imagine so." "Believe me, I have some hopes that in that short space of time I shall
be able to accomplish yet something which shall have a material effect
upon the present posture of affairs." "Do not run into danger, Charles." "I will not. Believe me, Flora, I have too much appreciation of the
value of an existence which is blessed by your love, to encounter any
needless risks." "You say needless. Why do you not confide in me, and tell me if the
object you have in view to accomplish in the few days delay is a
dangerous one at all." "Will you forgive me, Flora, if for once I keep a secret from you?"