,--in short, wherever he could make himself look dangerous and
another man jealous or foolish, he came out particularly strong; at the
same time, being adroit and not over belligerent, he always contrived to
stop or get out of the way in time if the other party showed open signs
of displeasure.

Frank Sumner was rather shorter than White, rather younger, and rather
more dressed. He had the same broad shoulders, which in America, where
most of the beaux are either tall and thin or short and thin, find favor
with the ladies; just as blondes create a sensation in southern
countries, because they are so seldom seen. In almost all other
particulars, the two men were totally unlike, and Sumner might have
passed for an English gentleman put into French clothes. He was reserved
in his conversation, and marked in the expression of his likes and
dislikes. With no more intention of marrying than White, he took care
never to make love to any woman, and if any woman made love to him, he
gave her no encouragement. He was not richer than White, not so
good-looking, and certainly not so clever, but more respected and more
influential; for the solid and trustworthy parts of his character,
backed by a bull-dog courage and an utter imperturbability, got the
better in the long run of the other's more brilliant qualities.

Some of these things Ashburner observed for himself, some of them Benson
told him after White and Sumner, who did _not_ ask the stranger to take
a drink, had passed on. He had noticed that the latter's manner, though
perfectly civil, was very cold compared with the _empressement_ which
the former had exhibited.

"He doesn't like your countrymen," said Harry, "and nothing can vex him
more than to be told, what is literally the truth, that he resembles an
Englishman in many respects. I believe it is about the only thing that
_can_ vex him. What an immovable man it is! I have seen a woman throw a
lighted cigar into his face, and another cut off one end of his
moustache (that was when we were both younger, and used to see some
queer scenes abroad), and a servant drop half a tureen of soup over him,
and none of these things stirred him. Once at Naples, I recollect, he
set our chimney on fire. Such a time we had of it; every one in the
house tumbling into our room, from the _piccolo_, with no coat and half
a pair of pants, to the proprietor in his dressing-gown and
spectacles--women calling on the Virgin, men running after wa