a
celebrated professor,--and it was expected that Royalty might come
in at any minute, speak a few benign words, and blow a few clouds of
smoke. It was abominable that the harmony of such a meeting should be
interrupted by the vinous insolence of Mr. Bonteen, and the useless
wrath of Phineas Finn. "Really, Mr. Finn, if I were you I would let
it drop," said the gentleman devoted to literary pursuits.

Phineas did not much affect the literary gentleman, but in such a
matter would prefer the advice of Mr. Monk to that of any man living.
He again appealed to his friend. "You heard what was said?"

"I heard Mr. Bonteen remark that you or somebody like you would in
certain circumstances be after a certain lady. I thought it to be
an ill-judged speech, and as your particular friend I heard it with
great regret."

"What a row about nothing!" said Mr. Bonteen, rising from his seat.
"We were speaking of a very pretty woman, and I was saying that some
young fellow generally supposed to be fond of pretty women would soon
be after her. If that offends your morals you must have become very
strict of late."

There was something in the explanation which, though very bad and
vulgar, it was almost impossible not to accept. Such at least was the
feeling of those who stood around Phineas Finn. He himself knew that
Mr. Bonteen had intended to assert that he would be after the woman's
money and not her beauty; but he had taste enough to perceive that he
could not descend to any such detail as that. "There are reasons, Mr.
Bonteen," he said, "why I think you should abstain from mentioning
my name in public. Your playful references should be made to your
friends, and not to those who, to say the least of it, are not your
friends."

When the matter was discussed afterwards it was thought that Phineas
Finn should have abstained from making the last speech. It was
certainly evidence of great anger on his part. And he was very angry.
He knew that he had been insulted,--and insulted by the man whom of
all men he would feel most disposed to punish for any offence. He
could not allow Mr. Bonteen to have the last word, especially as a
certain amount of success had seemed to attend them. Fate at the
moment was so far propitious to Phineas that outward circumstances
saved him from any immediate reply, and thus left him in some degree
triumphant. Expected Royalty arrived, and cast its salutary oil
upon the troubled waters. The Prince, with some w