nd. I must do him the justice to say he looked
horribly dismal, sulky, and frightened.

'Ye'll gi'e me a word, Miss--only a thing I ought to say--for your good; by
----, mind, it's for _your_ good, Miss.'

Dudley stood a little way off, viewing me, with his hat in both hands and a
'glooming' countenance.

I detested the idea of either hearing or speaking to him; but I had no
resolution to refuse, and only saying 'I can't imagine what you can wish to
speak to me about,' I approached him. 'Wait there at the banister, Quince.'

There was a fragrance of alcohol about the flushed face and gaudy muffler
of this odious cousin, which heightened the effect of his horribly dismal
features. He was speaking, besides, a little thickly; but his manner was
dejected, and he was treating me with an elaborate and discomfited respect
which reassured me.

'I'm a bit up a tree, Miss,' he said shuffling his feet on the oak floor.
'I behaved a d---- fool; but I baint one o' they sort. I'm a fellah as 'ill
fight his man, an' stan' up to 'm fair, don't ye see? An' _baint_ one o'
they sort--no, _dang_ it, I baint.'

Dudley delivered his puzzling harangue with a good deal of undertoned
vehemence, and was strangely agitated. He, too, had got an unpleasant way
of avoiding my eye, and glancing along the floor from corner to corner as
he spoke, which gave him a very hang-dog air.

He was twisting his fingers in his great sandy whisker, and pulling it
roughly enough to drag his cheek about by that savage purchase; and with
his other hand he was crushing and rubbing his hat against his knee.

'The old boy above there be half crazed, I think; he don't mean half as he
says thof, not he. But I'm in a bad fix anyhow--a regular sell it's been,
and I can't get a tizzy out of him. So, ye see, I'm up a tree, Miss; and he
sich a one, he'll make it a wuss mull if I let him. He's as sharp wi' me as
one o' them lawyer chaps, dang 'em, and he's a lot of I O's and rubbitch o'
mine; and Bryerly writes to me he can't gi'e me my legacy, 'cause he's got
a notice from Archer and Sleigh a warnin' him not to gi'e me as much as a
bob; for I signed it away to governor, he says--which I believe's a lie. I
may a' signed some writing--'appen I did--when I was a bit cut one night.
But that's no way to catch a gentleman, and 'twon't stand. There's justice
to be had, and 'twon't _stand_, I say; and I'm not in 'is hands that way.
Thof I may be a bit up the spout, too, I don'