d, 'Endeavouring to prevent some
of his evil designs from succeeding'. He tried to answer me, but his
utterance was literally choked by passion; and turning away, he strode
up and down the room gnashing and grinding his teeth like a maniac.
Having in some degree recovered his self-control, he again approached
me, drew himself up to his full height, and, pointing to the door,
desired me to leave the room.

"I replied I should not do so until I had given the young lady a piece
of information respecting the character of one of the party--and I
pointed to the billiard-marker, who had not yet alighted--I should then,
I added, learn from her own lips whether she still wished to remain
there, or would take my advice and return to her father.

"Again Wilford ground his teeth with rage, and desired me, in a voice of
thunder, to 'leave the room instantly '; to which I replied flatly that
I would not.

"He then made a sign to Wentworth, and they both approached me, with the
intention of forcing me out. Fearing that their combined efforts might
overpower me (for Wentworth, though short, is a broad-shouldered, strong
man, and Wilford's muscles are like iron), I avoided their grasp by
stepping backwards, and, hitting out with my right hand as I did so,
caught Wentworth full on the nose, tapping his claret for him, as the
pugilists call it, and sending him down like a shot. At the same moment
Wilford sprang upon me with a bound like a tiger, and seizing me by
the throat a short but severe struggle took place between us. I was too
strong for him, however; and finding this, he would gladly have ceased
hostilities and quitted me, kindly postponing my annihilation till some
future day, when it could be more conveniently accomplished by means of
a pistol-bullet. But, as you may imagine, my blood was pretty well up
by this time, and I determined he should not get off quite so easily.
Seizing, therefore, my whip in one hand, I detained him without much
trouble with the other--his strength being thoroughly exhausted by his
previous exertions--and administered such a thrashing as will keep him
out of mischief for a week to come, at ~196~~all events. It was while
this was going on that you made your appearance, I think; so now you are
_au fait_ to the whole affair--and pray, what else could I possibly have
done under the circumstances?"

"It is not easy to say," replied I. "I think the horse-whipping might
have been omitted, though I suppos