leave this to-night."

"Not the worst thing he could do."

"But you 'll see him, to say good-bye?"

"Certainly; and all the more easily if we have no conversation in the
mean while. Who's that knocking? Is the door locked?"

Temple hastened to open the door, and found Mr. Cutbill begging to have
five minutes' conversation with Colonel Bramleigh.

"Leave us together, Temple, and tell Marion to send me in some tea. You
'll have tea, too, won't you, Mr. Cutbill?"

"No, thank you; I 'll ask for wine and water later. At present I want
a little talk with you. Our noble friend has got it hot and heavy," said
he, as Temple withdrew, leaving Bramleigh and himself together; "but
it's nothing to what will come out when Norton brings it before the
House. I suppose there hasn't been such a scandal for years as he'll
make of it."

"I declare, Mr. Cutbill, as long as the gentleman continues my guest,
I 'd rather avoid than invite any discussion of his antecedents," said
Bramleigh, pompously.

"All very fine, if you could stop the world from talking of them."

"My son has just been with me, and I have said to him, sir, as I have
now repeated to you, that it is a theme I will not enter upon."

"You won't, won't you?"

"No, sir, I will not."

"The more fool you, then, that's all."

"What, sir, am I to be told this to my face, under my own roof? Can you
presume to address these words to me?"

"I meant nothing offensive. You needn't look like a turkey-cock. All the
gobble-gobble in the world would n't frighten me. I came in here in a
friendly spirit. I was handsomely treated in this house, and I 'd like
to make a return for it; that's why I 'm here, Bramleigh."

"You will pardon me if I do not detect the friendliness you speak of in
the words you have just uttered."

"Perhaps I was a little too blunt--a little too--what shall I call
it?--abrupt; but what I wanted to say was this: here's the nicest
opportunity in the world, not only to help a lame dog over the stile,
but to make a good hound of him afterwards."

"I protest, sir, I cannot follow you. Your bluntness, as you call it,
was at least intelligible."

"Don't be in a passion. Keep cool, and listen to me. If this motion is
made about Culduff, and comes to a debate, there will be such stories
told as would smash forty reputations. I 'd like to see which of us
would come well out of a biography, treated as a party attack in the
House of Commons. At all events _he_