told me so herself."

CHAPTER XX.

Sir Gilbert Hawkesby was, on the whole, a good-tempered man; but he was
liable to sudden outbursts of anger of a violent kind. Lady Hawkesby
knew this, and always bowed meekly to the storm. His butler knew it,
and felt no resentment when he was called an incompetent fool. The
barristers who practised their art in his court knew it, and always
gave up pressing objectionable points on his notice when they
recognised the early signs of approaching indignation. The butler and
the barristers, not Lady Hawkesby, admitted that the judge's anger was
invariably justified. He never lost control of himself without some
good excuse. Therefore they suffered patiently, knowing that they
suffered justly, and knowing also that they would not suffer long; for
the judge's outbursts were as brief as they were fierce, and he bore no
malice afterwards. Doyle unfortunately did not know Sir Gilbert's
peculiarities, and so he was depressed and unhappy. Sabina Gallagher
did not know them either, and the judge had not spared her. He had no
hesitation, as Lady Hawkesby, the butler, and the barristers knew, in
attacking the most defenceless people when the mood was on him, and he
had used exceptionally strong language to Sabina Gallagher. It took
him on this occasion longer than usual to recover his self-possession.
He gave no kiss in response to his niece's affectionate salutation. He
ate the really excellent luncheon which she had prepared for him in
gloomy silence and without a sign of appreciation. The gilly, who
accompanied him up the river in the afternoon, came in for the last
gusts of the expiring storm.

At about four o'clock Sir Gilbert hooked a fine salmon and landed him
successfully. The gilly, who was a man of tact, greatly over-estimated
the weight of the fish, and paid a rich compliment to the judge's
skill. Miss King said all the most appropriate things in tones of warm
conviction. Sir Gilbert began to feel that life was not altogether an
intolerable affliction. An hour later, in a pool strongly recommended
by the gilly, another fish was caught. It was inferior to the first in
size, but it was a very satisfactory creature to look at. The judge's
temper was quite normal when he sat down at dinner. When, at Miss
King's request, he lit his cigar in the drawing-room afterwards, he
began to take a humorous view of the misfortunes of the morning.

"I ought to have accepted