grandly comic spirit in appropriating that big word Apology, and
demanding it from Beauchamp on behalf of the lady ruling his household.
What could be funnier than the knocking of Beauchamp's blunderbuss out of
his hands, and pointing the muzzle at him!

Cecil dramatized the fun to amuse Mr. Culbrett. Apparently Beauchamp had
been staggered on hearing himself asked for the definite article he
claimed. He had made a point of speaking of the Apology. Lord Avonley did
likewise. And each professed to exact it for a deeply aggrieved person:
each put it on the ground that it involved the other's rightful ownership
of the title of gentleman.

"'An apology to the amiable and virtuous Mistress Culling?" says old
Nevil: "an apology? what for?"--"For unbecoming and insolent behaviour,"
says my lord.'

'I am that lady's friend,' Stukely warned Captain Baskelett. 'Don't let
us have a third apology in the field.'

'Perfectly true; you are her friend, and you know what a friend of mine
she is,' rejoined Cecil. 'I could swear "that lady" flings the whole
affair at me. I give you my word, old Nevil and I were on a capital
footing before he and the baron broke up. I praised him for tickling the
aristocracy. I backed him heartily; I do now; I'll do it in Parliament. I
know a case of a noble lord, a General in the army, and he received an
intimation that he might as well attend the Prussian cavalry manoeuvres
last Autumn on the Lower Rhine or in Silesia--no matter where. He
couldn't go: he was engaged to shoot birds! I give you my word. Now there
I see old Nevil 's right. It 's as well we should know something about
the Prussian and Austrian cavalry, and if our aristocracy won't go abroad
to study cavalry, who is to? no class in the kingdom understands horses
as they do. My opinion is, they're asleep. Nevil should have stuck to
that, instead of trying to galvanize the country and turning against his
class. But fancy old Nevil asked for the Apology! It petrified him. "I've
told her nothing but the truth," says Nevil. "Telling the truth to women
is an impertinence," says my lord. Nevil swore he'd have a revolution in
the country before he apologized.'

Mr. Culbrett smiled at the absurdity of the change of positions between
Beauchamp and his uncle Everard, which reminded him somewhat of the old
story of the highwayman innkeeper and the market farmer who had been
thoughtful enough to recharge his pistols after quitting the inn at
midnigh