style." He began again on a clean
sheet of paper. "Sir--You remind me of an Irish bull. I mean that story
in 'Joe Miller' where Pat remarked, in the hearing of a wag hard by,
that 'the reciprocity was all on one side.' _Your_ reciprocity is all on
one side. You take the privilege of refusing to be my lawyer, and
then you complain of my taking the privilege of refusing to be your
landlord." He paused fondly over those last words. "Neat!" he thought.
"Argument and hard hitting both in one. I wonder where my knack of
writing comes from?" He went on, and finished the letter in two more
sentences. "As for your casting my invitation back in my teeth, I beg to
inform you my teeth are none the worse for it. I am equally glad to
have nothing to say to you, either in the capacity of a friend or a
tenant.--ALLAN ARMADALE." He nodded exultantly at his own composition,
as he addressed it and sent it down to the messenger. "Darch's hide must
be a thick one," he said, "if he doesn't feel _that_!"

The sound of the wheels outside suddenly recalled him to the business
of the day. There was the carriage waiting to take him on his round of
visits; and there was Midwinter at his post, pacing to and fro on the
drive.

"Read that," cried Allan, throwing out the lawyer's letter; "I've
written him back a smasher."

He bustled away to the wardrobe to get his coat. There was a wonderful
change in him; he felt little or no reluctance to pay the visits now.
The pleasurable excitement of answering Mr. Darth had put him in a fine
aggressive frame of mind for asserting himself in the neighborhood.
"Whatever else they may say of me, they shan't say I was afraid to face
them." Heated red-hot with that idea, he seized his hat and gloves,
and hurrying out of the room, met Midwinter in the corridor with the
lawyer's letter in his hand.

"Keep up your spirits!" cried Allan, seeing the anxiety in his friend's
face, and misinterpreting the motive of it immediately. "If Darch can't
be counted on to send us a helping hand into the steward's office,
Pedgift can."

"My dear Allan, I was not thinking of that; I was thinking of Mr.
Darch's letter. I don't defend this sour-tempered man; but I am afraid
we must admit he has some cause for complaint. Pray don't give him
another chance of putting you in the wrong. Where is your answer to his
letter?"

"Gone!" replied Allan. "I always strike while the iron's hot--a word and
a blow, and the blow first, that's my