m man
to man,--personal insolence to one man in a company seems almost
to constitute an insult to every one present. When men could fight
readily, an arrogant word or two between two known to be hostile to
each other was only an invitation to a duel, and the angry man was
doing that for which it was known that he could be made to pay. There
was, or it was often thought that there was, a real spirit in the
angry man's conduct, and they who were his friends before became
perhaps more his friends when he had thus shown that he had an enemy.
But a different feeling prevails at present;--a feeling so different,
that we may almost say that a man in general society cannot speak
even roughly to any but his intimate comrades without giving offence
to all around him. Men have learned to hate the nuisance of a row,
and to feel that their comfort is endangered if a man prone to rows
gets among them. Of all candidates at a club a known quarreller is
more sure of blackballs now than even in the times when such a one
provoked duels. Of all bores he is the worst; and there is always
an unexpressed feeling that such a one exacts more from his company
than his share of attention. This is so strong, that too often the
man quarrelled with, though he be as innocent as was Phineas on the
present occasion, is made subject to the general aversion which is
felt for men who misbehave themselves.

"I wish to hear no good of myself from you," said Phineas, following
him to his seat. "Who is it that you said,--I should be after?" The
room was full, and every one there, even they who had come in with
Phineas, knew that Lady Eustace was the woman. Everybody at present
was talking about Lady Eustace.

"Never mind," said Barrington Erle, taking him by the arm. "What's
the use of a row?"

"No use at all;--but if you heard your name mentioned in such a
manner you would find it impossible to pass it over. There is Mr.
Monk;--ask him."

Mr. Monk was sitting very quietly in a corner of the room with
another gentleman of his own age by him,--one devoted to literary
pursuits and a constant attendant at The Universe. As he said
afterwards, he had never known any unpleasantness of that sort in
the club before. There were many men of note in the room. There was
a foreign minister, a member of the Cabinet, two ex-members of the
Cabinet, a great poet, an exceedingly able editor, two earls, two
members of the Royal Academy, the president of a learned society,