pleasure. It was a
fine place, with antlers, and arms, and foxes' brushes hung upon the
walls, and with carved panels of black oak, and oaken floor and
furnishings. All in it was disorderly and showed rough usage; but once
it had been a notable feature of the house, and well worth better care
than had been bestowed upon it. She discovered on the walls many
trophies that attracted her, but these she could not reach, and could
only gaze and wonder at; but on an old oaken settle she found some things
she could lay hands on, and forthwith seized and sat down upon the floor
to play with them. One of them was a hunting-crop, which she brandished
grandly, until she was more taken with a powder-flask which it so
happened her father, Sir Jeoffry, had lain down but a few minutes before,
in passing through. He was going forth coursing, and had stepped into
the dining-hall to toss off a bumper of brandy.

When he had helped himself from the buffet, and came back in haste, the
first thing he clapped eyes on was his offspring pouring forth the powder
from his flask upon the oaken floor. He had never seen her since that
first occasion after the unfortunate incident of her birth, and beholding
a child wasting his good powder at the moment he most wanted it and had
no time to spare, and also not having had it recalled to his mind for
years that he was a parent, except when he found himself forced
reluctantly to pay for some small need, he beheld in the young offender
only some impudent servant's brat, who had strayed into his domain and
applied itself at once to mischief.

He sprang upon her, and seizing her by the arm, whirled her to her feet
with no little violence, snatching the powder-flask from her, and dealing
her a sound box on the ear.

"Blood and damnation on thee, thou impudent little baggage!" he shouted.
"I'll break thy neck for thee, little scurvy beast;" and pulled the bell
as he were like to break the wire.

But he had reckoned falsely on what he dealt with. Miss uttered a shriek
of rage which rang through the roof like a clarion. She snatched the
crop from the floor, rushed at him, and fell upon him like a thousand
little devils, beating his big legs with all the strength of her passion,
and pouring forth oaths such as would have done credit to Doll Lightfoot
herself.

"Damn _thee_!--damn _thee_!"--she roared and screamed, flogging him.
"I'll tear thy eyes out! I'll cut thy liver from thee! Damn thy soul t