or the present.

They were astonished at breakfast by seeing Sir Lukin ride past the
windows. He entered with the veritable appetite of a cavalier who had
ridden from London fasting; and why he had come at that early hour, he
was too hungry to explain. The ladies retired to read their letters by
the morning's post; whereupon Sir Lukin called to Redworth; 'I met that
woman in the park yesterday, and had to stand a volley. I went beating
about London for you all the afternoon and evening. She swears you rated
her like a scullery wench, and threatened to ruin Wroxeter. Did you see
him? She says, the story's true in one particular, that he did snatch
a kiss, and got mauled. Not so much to pay for it! But what a
ruffian--eh?'

'I saw him,' said Redworth. 'He 's one of the new set of noblemen who
take bribes to serve as baits for transactions in the City. They help to
the ruin of their order, or are signs of its decay. We won't judge it by
him. He favoured me with his "word of honour" that the thing you heard
was entirely a misstatement, and so forth:--apologized, I suppose. He
mumbled something.'

'A thorough cur!'

'He professed his readiness to fight, if either of us was not
contented.'

'He spoke to the wrong man. I've half a mind to ride back and have him
out for that rascal "osculation" and the lady unwilling!--and she a
young one, a girl, under the protection of the house! By Jove! Redworth,
when you come to consider the scoundrels men can be, it stirs a fellow's
bile. There's a deal of that sort of villany going--and succeeding
sometimes! He deserves the whip or a bullet.'

'A sermon from Lukin Dunstane might punish him.'

'Oh! I'm a sinner, I know. But, go and tell one woman of another woman,
and that a lie! That's beyond me.'

'The gradations of the deeps are perhaps measurable to those who are in
them.'

'The sermon's at me--pop!' said Sir Lukin. 'By the way, I'm coming
round to think Diana Warwick was right when she used to jibe at me for
throwing up my commission. Idleness is the devil--or mother of him. I
manage my estates; but the truth is, it doesn't occupy my mind.'

'Your time.'

'My mind, I say.'

'Whichever you please.'

'You're crusty to-day, Redworth. Let me tell you, I think--and hard too,
when the fit's on me. However, you did right in stopping--I'll own--a
piece of folly, and shutting the mouths of those two; though it caused
me to come in for a regular drencher. But a pretty woman i