nding the
cheque he had said no more than to bid the man pay what wages were
due. He had not as yet made up his mind as to any further steps. As
they walked round the enclosure of St. James's Park together, and as
the warmth of their old friendship produced freedom of intercourse,
Gilmore acknowledged a dozen wild schemes that had passed through his
brain. That to which he was most wedded was a plan for meeting Walter
Marrable and cudgelling him pretty well to death. Fenwick pointed
out three or four objections to this. In the first place, Marrable
had committed no offence whatever against Gilmore. And then, in all
probability, Marrable might be as good at cudgelling as the Squire
himself. And thirdly, when the cudgelling was over, the man who began
the row would certainly be put into prison, and in atonement for that
would receive no public sympathy. "You can't throw yourself on the
public pity as a woman might," said the Vicar.

"D---- the public pity," said the Squire, who was not often driven to
make his language forcible after that fashion.

Another scheme was that he would publish the whole transaction. And
here again his friend was obliged to remind him, that a man in his
position should be reticent rather than outspoken. "You have already
declared," said the Vicar, "that you can't endure failure, and yet
you want to make your failure known to all the world." His third
proposition was more absurd still. He would write such a letter to
Mary Lowther as would cover her head with red hot coals. He would
tell her that she had made the world utterly unbearable to him, and
that she might have the Privets for herself and go and live there. "I
do not doubt but that such a letter would annoy her," said the Vicar.

"Why should I care how much she is annoyed?"

"Just so;--but everyone who saw the letter would know that it was
pretence and bombast. Of course you will do nothing of the kind."

They were together pretty nearly the whole day. Gilmore, no doubt,
would have avoided the Vicar in the morning had it been possible;
but now that he had been caught, and had been made to undergo
his friend's lectures, he was rather grateful than otherwise for
something in the shape of society. It was Fenwick's desire to induce
him to return to Bullhampton. If this could not be done, it would no
doubt be well that some authority should be obtained from him as to
the management of the place. But this subject had not been mooted
as ye