. What would my feelings be if Aunt Maria arrived
hysterically in the pony-carriage, and at great personal risk
enquired--"

"I fear no dogs," said Erle Twemlow, without any flash of anger in his
steadfast eyes. "I can bring any dog to lick my feet. But I fear any man
who sinks lower than a dog, by obtaining a voice and speaking lies with
it. If you wish, for some reason of your own, to have nought to do with
me, you should have said so; and I might have respected you afterwards.
But flimsy excuses and trumpery lies belong to the lowest race of
savages, who live near the coast, and have been taught by Frenchmen."

Erle Twemlow stood, as he left off speaking, just before the shoulder
of Carne's horse, ready to receive a blow, if offered, but without
preparation for returning it. But Carne, for many good reasons--which
occurred to his mind long afterwards--controlled his fury, and consoled
his self-respect by repaying in kind the contempt he received.

"Well done, Mr. Savage!" he said, with a violent effort to look amiable.
"You and I are accustomed to the opposite extremes of society, and the
less we meet, the better. When a barbarian insults me, I take it as a
foul word from a clodhopper, which does not hurt me, but may damage his
own self-respect, if he cherishes such an illusion. Perhaps you will
allow me to ride on, while you curb your very natural curiosity about a
civilized gentleman."

Twemlow made no answer, but looked at him with a gentle pity, which
infuriated Carne more than the keenest insult. He lashed his horse, and
galloped down the hill, while his cousin stroked his beard, and looked
after him with sorrow.

"Everything goes against me now," thought Caryl Carne, while he put up
his horse and set off for the Admiral's Roundhouse. "I want to be cool
as a cucumber, and that insolent villain has made pepper of me. What
devil sent him here at such a time?"

For the moment it did not cross his mind that this man of lofty rudeness
was the long-expected lover of Faith Darling, and therefore in some
sort entitled to a voice about the doings of the younger sister. By many
quiet sneers, and much expressive silence, he had set the brisk Dolly
up against the quiet Faith, as a man who understands fowl nature can set
even two young pullets pulling each other's hackles out.

"So you are come at last!" said Dolly. "No one who knows me keeps me
waiting, because I am not accustomed to it. I expect to be called for at