ottle or two of wine over it with his
sons.

As soon as the servant had withdrawn after dinner he began his
grievance.

"By G----d, Fred, that ruffian Webb is passing all bounds. He's not
only forgotten the opinions and notions of a gentleman, but he has
lain down the manners of one too."

"Why, what has he done now? With all his queer ideas, Webb can be a
gentleman if he pleases," said Fred.

"I must say," said George, "the Counsellor is a good fellow on the
course. I don't care how seldom I see him anywhere else."

"I don't know what you may call being a good fellow or a gentleman,"
replied the father; "but I know he has insulted me publicly, and
that in the most gross way, and before half the country. I don't
know whether that's your idea of acting like a gentleman or a good
fellow."

"It's what many a gentleman and many a good fellow has done before
him," said George; "but if he has insulted you, of course he must
apologize--or do the other thing."

"What--let it alone?" rejoined Fred.

"No; fight--and that's what he's a deal the most likely to do," said
George.

"Be d----d," said old Brown, "but I think both of you seem glad to
hear that your father has been insulted! you've neither of you a
grain of proper feeling."

"It's with a grain or two of gunpowder, I'd take it," said George,
"and I'd advise you, father, to do the same; a precious deal better
thing than good feeling to settle an insult with."

"But you've not told us what it's all about?" said Fred; "what was
the quarrel about?"

"Quarrel! there was no quarrel at all in the matter--I couldn't
quarrel with him for I wouldn't speak to him. It was about that
infernal friend of yours, Fred, that Ussher; I wish he'd never
darkened this door."

"Poor devil!" answered Fred; "there's no use abusing him now he's
dead. I suppose the row wasn't his fault."

"It was about him though, and the low blackguard that murdered him.
Webb was talking about him, making a speech in the public-room,
taking the fellow's part, as I'm told he's always doing, and going
on with all the clap-trap story about protecting his sister;--as
if every one in the country didn't know that she'd been Ussher's
mistress for months back. Well, that was all nothing to me--only
he'll be rightly served when he finds every man on his estate has
become a ribbonman, and every other tenant ready to turn murderer.
But this wasn't enough for him, but at the end of the whole he must
decla