"Because I count it not right."

"Puritan!" cried Jack in accents of the deepest scorn. Feversham
continued his supper with great unconcern.

"Art thou no Puritan?"

"What is a Puritan?" calmly returned John.

"One that reckoneth a laugh sin."

"Then, if so be, I am no Puritan."

"Jack!" reproved his father.

"Sir, of all things in this world, there is nought I do loathe and
despise like to a Puritan!"

"There is a worse thing than reckoning a laugh to be sin, Jack," said
Sir Thomas gravely; "and that is, reckoning sin a thing to laugh at."

"And wherefore dost loathe a Puritan, quotha?" demanded Rachel. "Be
they so much better than thou?"

"There be no gentlemen amongst them, Aunt Rachel," suggested Blanche
mischievously.

"They set them up for having overmuch goodness," answered Jack in a
disgusted tone.

"Prithee, Jack, how much goodness is that?" his Aunt Rachel wished to
know.

"Over Jack's goodness," whispered Blanche.

"There is not one that is not a coward," resumed Jack, ignoring the
query. "As for Feversham yonder, I can tell why he would not go."

"Why?" said Feversham, looking up.

"Because," returned Jack with lofty scorn, "thou art afeared lest the
bull should break loose."

Blanche was curious to hear what John Feversham would say to this
accusation--one which to her mind was a most insulting one. Surely this
would rouse him, if anything could.

"That is not all I am afeared of," said John quietly.

"Art thou base enough to confess fear?" cried Jack, as if he could
hardly believe his ears.

John Feversham looked him steadily in the face.

"Ay, Jack Enville," he said, unmoved by the taunt. "I am afeared of
God."

"Well said, my brave lad!" muttered Sir Thomas.

Jack turned, and left the hall without answering. But after that
evening, his whole conduct towards Feversham evinced the uttermost
contempt. He rarely spoke to him, but was continually speaking at him,
in terms which classed him with "ancient wives" and "coward loons"--
insinuations so worded that it was impossible to reply, and yet no one
could doubt what was meant by them. Unless Feversham were extremely
careless of the opinion of his fellows, he must have found this very
galling; but he showed no indication of annoyance, beyond an occasional
flush and quiver of the lip. Sir Thomas had at once exhibited his
displeasure when he heard this, so that Jack restricted his
manifestations to times when his father