d he ran to Lady Clara's
sitting-room. Her ladyship was up. Sir Barnes breakfasted rather late on
the first morning after an arrival at Newcome. He had to look over the
bailiff's books, and to look about him round the park and grounds; to
curse the gardeners; to damn the stable and kennel grooms; to yell at
the woodman for clearing not enough or too much; to rail at the poor old
workpeople brooming away the fallen leaves, etc. So Lady Clara was up
and dressed when her husband went to her room, which lay at the end of
the house as we have said, the last of a suite of ancestral halls.

The mutinous servant heard high voices and curses within; then Lady
Clara's screams; then Sir Barnes Newcome burst out of the room, locking
the door and taking the key with him, and saluting with more curses
James, the mutineer, over whom his master ran.

"Curse your wife, and don't curse me, Sir Barnes Newcome!" said James,
the mutineer; and knocked down a hand which the infuriated Baronet
raised against him, with an arm that was twice as strong as Barnes's
own. This man and maid followed their mistress in the sad journey upon
which she was bent. They treated her with unalterable respect. They
never could be got to see that her conduct was wrong. When Barnes's
counsel subsequently tried to impugn their testimony, they dared him;
and hurt the plaintiff's case very much. For the balance had weighed
over; and it was Barnes himself who caused what now ensued; and what we
learned in a very few hours afterwards from Newcome, where it was the
talk of the whole neighbourhood.

Florac and I, as yet ignorant of all that was occurring, met Barnes
near his own lodge-gate riding in the direction of Newcome, as we were
ourselves returning to Rosebury. The Prince de Moncontour, who
was driving, affably saluted the Baronet, who gave us a scowling
recognition, and rode on, his groom behind him. "The figure of the
garcon," says Florac, as our acquaintance passed, "is not agreeable. Of
pale, he has become livid. I hope these two men will not meet, or evil
will come!" Evil to Barnes there might be, Florac's companion thought,
who knew the previous little affairs between Barnes and his uncle and
cousin; and that Lord Highgate was quite able to take care of himself.

In half an hour after Florac spoke, that meeting between Barnes and
Highgate actually had taken place--in the open square of Newcome, within
four doors of the King's Arms inn, close to which liv