of the
same extent in any county."

"I'm too busy a man myself," said the Captain, "to do much at
partridges. We think more of pheasants down with us."

"I dare say."

"But a Norfolk man like you is of course keen about birds."

"We are obliged to put up with what we've got, you know;--not but
what I believe there is a better general head of game in Norfolk than
in any other county in England."

"That's what makes your hunting rather poor."

"Our hunting poor! Why do you say it's poor?"

"So many of you are against preserving foxes."

"I'll tell you what, Captain Aylmer; I don't know what pack you
hunt with, but I'll bet you a five-pound note that we killed more
foxes last year than you did;--that is, taking three days a week.
Nine-and-twenty brace and a half in a short season I don't call poor
at all."

Captain Aylmer saw that the man was waxing angry, and made no further
allusion either to the glories or deficiencies of Norfolk. As he
could think of no other subject on which to speak at the spur of
the moment, he sat himself down and took up a paper; Belton took up
another, and so they remained till Clara made her appearance. That
Captain Aylmer read his paper is probable enough. He was not a man
easily disconcerted, and there was nothing in his present position
to disconcert him. But I feel sure that Will Belton did not read a
word. He was angry with this rival, whom he hated, and was angry with
himself for showing his anger. He would have wished to appear to the
best advantage before this man, or rather before Clara in this man's
presence; and he knew that in Clara's absence he was making such a
fool of himself that he would be unable to recover his prestige. He
had serious thoughts within his own breast whether it would not be
as well for him to get up from his seat and give Captain Aylmer a
thoroughly good thrashing;--"Drop into him and punch his head," as
he himself would have expressed it. For the moment such an exercise
would give him immense gratification. The final results would, no
doubt, be disastrous; but then, all future results, as far as he
could see them, were laden with disaster. He was still thinking of
this, eyeing the man from under the newspaper, and telling himself
that the feat would probably be too easy to afford much enjoyment,
when Clara re-entered the room. Then he got up, acting on the spur of
the moment,--got up quickly and suddenly, and began to bid her adieu.

"But you are