ent of daffodil bulbs, with the Commandant's
compliments, and in acknowledgment of my gift! Could hypocrisy go
farther?"

"Major Vigoureux," said Miss Gabriel, "was never a friend of mine. Let
those who thought better of him defend him now, when he shows himself
in his true colours."

But here Archelaus pulled himself together.

"The Governor," he answered sullenly, "had nothing to do with it. The
Governor was in church at the time, as is well known to all of you."

"Yes, yes," interposed Mrs. Pope. "Let us be just. The Commandant was
certainly in church at the time. On our homeward way we met him
returning from church; and I would add, sir--if you will forgive
me--that he is a gentleman quite incapable of suggesting or conniving
at so vulgar a trick."

"H'm!" The Lord Proprietor accepted this with a snort, for he could not
help being aware of its truth. But his wrath still needed a vent, and
he turned upon Archelaus again.

"The Governor?" he echoed. "Are you ignorant that Major Vigoureux is
not Governor of these Islands, nor has he been for three years?--even
if he had ever a right to the title."

"He's _my_ Governor, anyway," answered Archelaus, turning more and more
dogged; "and he's Treacher's; and I reckon you'll find, if you try any
games, that he's Treacher's missus' Governor, too."

"Insolent!"--This from Miss Gabriel.

"I ain't denyin' it, ma'am. Insolent I be, and a little freedom o'
speech about it is no more than your rights. Insolent I've behaved, and
if you'll take and ask the Governor to punish me for it, 'tisn't more
than I deserve. He'll do it, be sure. As Mister Pope told you just now,
the Governor's a gentleman; he wouldn't play such a trick, not if you
was to offer him the world and the kingdoms thereof; and he'll be teasy
as fire when he hears about it. But I warn you, ladies and gentlemen,
all, don't you take the law into your own hands over this distressin'
case, but go to him meek-like an' say you want Arch'laus punished.
That's all. Leastways, that's all, unless you ask my honest opinion on
the breeches in question, which is, that I wouldn't put 'em astride a
clothes-horse and call him a son o' mine."

The Lord Proprietor stepped back, purple in the face.

But Miss Gabriel flew at game higher than Archelaus.

"That is all very well," she interposed, in her coldest, most incisive
tone. "But to whom does the credit of this insult belong if not to
Major Vigoureux? You may talk till