age, spluttered and drank, and
spluttered again, and refusing a second, would go, and so met Raleigh in
the hall.

Raleigh tried on his part to soothe the old man, and on his part the old
man tried at one and the same moment to apologize for his granddaughter
and to abuse her for her misconduct. Consequently neither of them heard
or understood the other.

But no sooner was Iden gone than Raleigh, remembering the rough crowd in
the fair, despatched the butler after him to see him safe home. It was
now growing dusky as the evening came on.

Without more ado, this young gentleman then set to and swore at Fred for
half an hour straight ahead. Fred at first simply stared and wondered
what on earth had turned his brain; next, being equally hot-tempered, he
swore in reply; then there followed some sharp recriminations (for each
knew too much of the other's goings on not to have plenty of material),
and finally they sparred. Two or three cuffs cooled their ardour, having
nothing to quarrel about; sulks ensued; Raleigh buried himself in the
papers; Fred lit a cigar and walked out into the fair. Thus there was
tribulation in the great house of the Pamments.

Grandfather Iden permitted the butler to steer him through the crowd
quietly enough, because it flattered him to be thus taken care of before
the world by a Pamment servitor. When they parted at the doorstep he
slipped half-a-sovereign in the butler's hand--he could not offer less
than gold to a Pamments' man--but once inside, his demeanour changed. He
pushed away his housekeeper, went into his especial sitting-room, bolted
the door, spread his hands and knees over the fire, and poked the coals,
grunted, poked, and stirred till smoke and smuts filled the stuffy
little place.

By-and-by there was a banging of drawers--the drawers in the bureau and
the bookcases were opened and shut sharply--writing-paper was flung on
the table, and he sat down to write a letter with a scratchy quill pen.
The letter written was ordered to post immediately, and the poking, and
stirring, and grunting recommenced. Thus there was tribulation in the
house of the head of the Idens.

Amaryllis meantime had got through the town by keeping between the
booths and the houses. Just as she left the last street Ned Marks rode
up--he had been on the watch, thinking to talk with her as she walked
home, but just as he drew rein to go slow and so speak, a heathen pig
from the market rushed between his hor