we to the public!"

"I tell you again," repeated Lovelace firmly--"the whole thing is a lie.
Will you apologize?"

Mr. Grubbs threw himself back in his chair and laughed aloud.

"Apologize? My dear sir, you must be dreaming! Apologize? Certainly not!
I cannot retract the statements I have made--and I firmly believe them
to be true. And though there is a saying, 'the greater the truth the
greater the libel,' I'm ready, sir, and, always have been ready, to
sacrifice myself to the cause of truth. Truth, truth for ever! Tell the
truth and shame the devil! You are at liberty to inform Sir Philip
Errington from me, that as it is my object--a laudable and praiseworthy
one, too, I think--to show up the awful immorality now reigning in our
upper classes, I do not regret in the least the insertion of the
paragraph in question. If it only makes him ashamed of his vices, I
shall have done a good deed, and served the interests of society at
large. At the same time, if he wishes to bring an action for libel--"

"You dog!" exclaimed Lovelace fiercely, approaching him with such a
sudden rapid stride that the astonished editor sprang up and barricaded
himself behind his own chair. "You hope for that, do you? An action for
libel! nothing would please you better! To bring your scandalous printed
trash into notoriety,--to hear your name shouted by dirty hawkers and
newsboys--to be sentenced as a first-class misdemenent; ah, no such luck
for you! I know the tricks of your vile trade! There are other ways of
dealing with a vulgar bully and coward!"

And before the startled Grubbs could realize his position, Lovelace
closed with him, beat him under, and struck the horsewhip smartly cross
his back and shoulders. He uttered a yell of pain and fury, and strove
vigorously to defend himself, but, owing to his obesity, his muscles
were weak and flabby, and he was powerless against the activity and
strength of his opponent. Lash after lash descended regularly and
mercilessly--his cries, which gradually became like the roarings of a
bull of Basban, were unheard, as the office-boy below, profiting by a
few idle moments, had run across the street to buy some chestnuts at a
stall he particularly patronized. Beau thrashed on with increasing
enjoyment--Grubbs resisted him less and less, till finally he slipped
feebly down on the floor and grovelled there, gasping and groaning. Beau
gave him one or two more artistic cuts, and stood above him, with the