resentation of the Address of
congratulation by Mr. Bailiff Tinman, of Crikswich! Herbert Fellingham
wreaked his personal spite on Tinman. He should have bethought him that
it involved another than Tinman that is to say, an office--which the
fitful beast rejoices to paw and play with contemptuously now and then,
one may think, as a solace to his pride, and an indemnification for those
caprices of abject worship so strongly recalling the days we see through
Mr. Darwin's glasses.

He should not have written the report. It sent a titter over England. He
was so unwise as to despatch a copy of the newspaper containing it to Van
Diemen Smith. Van Diemen perused it with satisfaction. So did Tinman.
Both of these praised the able young writer. But they handed the paper to
the Coastguard Lieutenant, who asked Tinman how he liked it; and visitors
were beginning to drop in to Crikswich, who made a point of asking for a
sight of the chief man; and then came a comic publication, all in the
Republican tone of the time, with Man's Dignity for the standpoint, and
the wheezy laughter residing in old puns to back it, in eulogy of the
satiric report of the famous Address of congratulation of the Bailiff of
Crikswich.

"Annette," Van Diemen said to his daughter, "you'll not encourage that
newspaper fellow to come down here any more. He had his warning."

CHAPTER VI

One of the most difficult lessons for spirited young men to learn is,
that good jokes are not always good policy. They have to be paid for,
like good dinners, though dinner and joke shall seem to have been at
somebody else's expense. Young Fellingham was treated rudely by Van
Diemen Smith, and with some cold reserve by Annette: in consequence of
which he thought her more than ever commonplace. He wrote her a letter of
playful remonstrance, followed by one that appealed to her sentiments.

But she replied to neither of them. So his visits to Crikswich came to an
end.

Shall a girl who has no appreciation of fun affect us? Her expressive
eyes, and her quaint simplicity, and her enthusiasm for England, haunted
Mr. Fellingham; being conjured up by contrast with what he met about him.
But shall a girl who would impose upon us the task of holding in our
laughter at Tinman be much regretted? There could be no companionship
between us, Fellingham thought.

On an excursion to the English Lakes he saw the name of Van Diemen Smith
in a visitors' book, and changed his ideas o