he said; "Major Keene is so formidable an
adversary, that it is hardly safe to interfere with him." (These "men of
peace"--_quand ils s'y prennent_! I believe the most exasperating man in
England, at this moment, to be an influential Quaker.)

Dick Tresilyan took a long time (as was his wont) in finding out what
was meant; when he did, even his limited intellect appreciated its bad
taste and absurdity. A hundred sarcasms would not have disconcerted the
pastor so completely as his honest, hearty laugh.

"Ah! you think I'm afraid of him? No--they don't breed cowards where I
come from. I never heard that idea but once before; that was at the
Truro fair. I wasn't in very good company, and they 'planted' a big
miner on me at last. He wanted me to wrestle, and when I wouldn't, he
said--just what you did. But I remember all the others laughed at him.
They know _us_ in those parts, you see. He'd better have kept quiet; for
though he puzzled me at first with a 'back trick' he had, I knew more
than he did, and he got an awkward fall; I don't think he'll ever do a
good day's work again." He paused, and his brow darkened strangely, and
all his face changed, till it resembled more closely than it had often
done the portraits of come of the "bitter, bad Tresilyans." "I suppose
you mean well, Mr. Fullarton, but I'm not going to thank you. We can
manage our affairs without your meddling; and if you're wise you'll
leave us alone." It will be seen that the chaplain did not take much by
his motion.

Neither was Fanny Molyneux well satisfied with the turn affairs had
taken lately. That poor little "white witch" was really alarmed by the
unruly character of the spirit that she had been anxious to raise; she
did not know the proper formula for sending it back to its own place;
and, if she had, the stubborn demon would only have mocked at her simple
incantations. Though she loved Cecil dearly, she was too much in awe of
her to venture upon remonstrance or warning; indeed, the few mild hints
that she _did_ throw out had not met with such success as to tempt her
to follow them up. So she was, perforce, reduced to an unarmed
neutrality.

Her husband was perhaps the most thoroughly uncomfortable of the party.
He knew the circumstances and bearings of the question better than any
one else, and would have sacrificed a good deal ("his right hand," I
believe, is the proper phrase) to have averted the probable result. But
he had not sufficient st