er; "she
has seen worse than that, poor thing. Here I am--just come and do it."

The Major was scarcely more than half the size of Mr. Goad in mere
bodily bulk, and yet he defied him in this way. He carefully took his
blue lights off, then drew up the crest of his hair, like his wife's
most warlike cock a-crowing, and laid down his rattan upon a desk, and
doubled his fists, and waited. Then he gave a blink from the corner of
his gables, clearly meaning, "Please to stop and see it out." It was a
distressing thing to see, and the Major's courage was so grand that I
could not help smiling. Mr. Goad, however, did not advance, but assumed
a superior manner.

"Major," he said, "we are not young men; we must not be so hasty. You
carry things with too high a hand, as veteran officers are apt to do.
Sir, I make allowance for you; I retract my menace, and apologize. We
move in different spheres of life, Sir, or I would offer you my hand."

"No, thank you!" the Major exclaimed, and then looked sorry for his
arrogance. "When a man has threatened me, and that man sees the mistake
of doing so, I am pacified, Sir, in a moment; but it takes me some time
to get over it. I have served his Gracious Majesty, and now hers,
in every quarter of the civilized globe, with distinction, Sir--with
distinction, and thanks, and no profit to taint the transaction, Sir.
In many battles I have been menaced with personal violence, and have
received it, as in such positions is equitable. I am capable, Sir, of
receiving it still, and repaying it, not without interest."

"Hang it, Major, if a man is sorry, a soldier forgives him frankly.
You abused me, and I rashly threatened you. I beg your pardon, as a man
should do, and that should be an end to it."

"Very well, very well; say no more about it. But am I to understand that
you still deny in that barefaced manner, with my witness here, the fact
of your having been at Colonel Gundry's--my cousin, Sir, and a man not
to be denied, without an insult to myself--a man who possesses ingots
of gold, ingots of gold, enough to break the Bank of England, and a
man whose integrity doubles them all. Have you not heard of the monster
nugget, transcending the whole of creation, discovered by this young
lady looking at you, in the bed of the saw-mill river, and valued at
more than half a million?"

"You don't mean to say so? When was it? Sylvester never said a word
about it--the papers, I mean, never mentioned it."