“Well, if she takes offence at that she must be a born fool. Some people can’t bear to be told anything. But they soon get all that thin-skinned nonsense knocked out of them.” “Have you any sisters, Mr. Cashel Byron?” “No. Why?” “Or a mother?” “I have a mother; but I haven’t seen her for years; and I don’t much care if I never see her. It was through her that I came to be what I am.” “Are you then dissatisfied with your profession?” “No--I don’t mean that. I am always saying stupid things.” “Yes. That comes of your ignorance of a sex accustomed to have its silliness respected. You will find it hard to keep on good terms with my friend without some further study of womanly ways.” “As to her, I won’t give in that I’m wrong unless I AM wrong. The truth’s the truth.” “Not even to please Miss Goff?” “Not even to please you. You’d only think the worse of me afterwards.” “Quite true, and quite right,” said Lydia, cordially. “Good-bye, Mr. Cashel Byron. I must rejoin Miss Goff.” “I suppose you will take her part if she keeps a down on me for what I said to her.” “What is ‘a down’? A grudge?” “Yes. Something of that sort.” “Colonial, is it not?” pursued Lydia, with the air of a philologist. “Yes; I believe I picked it up in the colonies.” Then he added, sullenly, “I suppose I shouldn’t use slang in speaking to you. I beg your pardon.” “I do not object to it. On the contrary, it interests me. For example, I have just learned from it that you have been in Australia.” “So I have. But are you out with me because I annoyed Miss Goff?” “By no means. Nevertheless, I sympathize with her annoyance at the manner, if not the matter, of your rebuke.” “I can’t, for the life of me, see what there was in what I said to raise such a fuss about. I wish you would give me a nudge whenever you see me making a fool of myself. I will shut up at once and ask no questions.” “So that it will be understood that my nudge means ‘Shut up, Mr. Cashel Byron; you are making a fool of yourself’?” “Just so. YOU understand me. I told you that before, didn’t I?” “I am afraid,” said Lydia, her face bright with laughter, “that I cannot take charge of your manners until we are a little better acquainted.” He seemed disappointed. Then his face clouded; and he began, “If you regard it as a liberty--” “Of course I regard it as a liberty,” she said, neatly interrupting him. “Is not my own conduct a sufficient charge upon my attention? Why should I voluntarily assume that of a strong man and learned professor as well?” “By Jingo!” exclaimed Cashel, with sudden excitement, “I don’t care what you say to me. You have a way of giving things a turn that makes it a pleasure to be shut up by you; and if I were a gentleman, as I ought to be, instead of a poor devil of a professional pug, I would--” He recollected himself, and turned quite pale. There was a pause.