‘Not a gentleman by birth, like he is,’ Roger went on softly; ‘but I am a human being, with susceptibilities, and with coarse desires and impulses. The former have been wounded by his behaviour to my betrothed, which I consider to have been wanting in respect. The latter inspire me to tell him he is a cad, threaten him with a horsewhipping, and cry quits with him. Don’t say anything against it, because I am going to do it, and it’s no use your worrying about it.’ ‘I—worry. Nay, you may choke him by knocking his own impudence down his throat, if you like; I have nothing against it. I am sorry for his sister, I must say. Did you see her to-night?’ ‘Yes,’ said Roger, tranquilly. ‘So did you. She looked superb.’ ‘And miserable, poor thing! Who would guess them to be brother and sister?’ ‘Who, indeed?’ ‘I cannot imagine that she can be very happy in that house.’ ‘I can’t imagine that any decent person would.’ Then Roger lighted a pipe, and smoked it, before going to bed. Michael pulled out a book, and said he had some reading to do. How soon the one slept, how much the other read—these things have not been ascertained. CHAPTER XXVIII AT THE MILLS When Michael came down on the following morning, he found Roger gazing out of the window, at the snowy prospect, and drumming his fingers on the pane. ‘A jolly day for you to turn out, Michael. Have you to go far afield?’ ‘Not very; but I have a good deal to do. Balder Hall is the farthest place I have to go to. I must see Miss Strangforth.’ ‘Ah, well, it is not a very good road.’ He turned to the breakfast-table, and they had both made some progress with the meal, when Michael observed— ‘Roger, you said you were going to have it out with Otho Askam to-day.’ ‘So I am.’ ‘Do you mean to give it him hot?’ ‘I mean to tell him that I have done with him, and to promise him a horsewhipping if he ever looks at my young woman again,’ said Roger, roughly. ‘Do you know, I don’t think it is the best thing you could do.’ ‘Better make him a speech, thanking him for his politeness and condescension, perhaps,’ said Roger, bitingly. ‘Oh, nonsense! You know that is not what I mean.’ The thought in Michael’s mind, of which he could not, of course, speak to Roger, was, that the girl was not worth making a great fuss about. He found it difficult to speak very seriously on the matter, looking at it from his point of view, and felt a sorrowful surprise at Roger’s denseness. ‘What I mean is this,’ he went on. ‘Otho Askam is not exactly like other men; he’s a greater blackguard than most. You might as well harangue this table as expect to make him ashamed of himself, or get him to see that he behaved vilely last night. That’s the sort of creature that he is. And if you quit him at a moment’s notice, people will be quite ready to say that there was more in it than met the eye. I think that, for her sake, you should be careful.’