It unfortunately so happened, also, that no one would give him any cause for offence; that the servants ran like lightning to obey his orders; that the horses themselves seemed to be more tractable and easy under the consciousness of an impending catastrophe; and that Mr. Driesen, with extraordinary skill and forethought, avoided the slightest occasion of offence, though he did not fail to launch the little biting sarcasms which, by showing him constantly prepared to assail others, tended not a little to guard him from assault. Through a long life, as we have said, Sir Francis and Mr. Driesen had never quarrelled; and Sir Francis had generated in himself a sort of affectionate regard towards Driesen, which, without respect or esteem, or any of those qualities that seemed requisite to render regard permanent, had outlived many trials, and rather increased than diminished. It is true that Mr. Driesen was under some pecuniary obligations to Sir Francis Tyrrell, and Sir Francis was too generous in regard to such transactions not to feel that such a circumstance ought to act as a check and control upon him. This was, indeed, the only kind of restraint he knew, and it is but justice to point it out, and to say that, on many occasions, it acted as a barrier, when, had it not been for that, his wrath might have poured forth upon his friend as well as upon his wife or son. As very rarely happens, indeed, the existence of pecuniary obligations had given permanence to the friendship of two men of very dissimilar characters and of no very steadfast religious principles. These causes still existed to prevent anything like a rupture between Sir Francis Tyrrell and his friend; but in the course of that month a change had come over Mr. Driesen which was sufficiently remarkable to attract the attention of Sir Francis himself. He had become gloomy, melancholy; had not taken pleasure in his books, but been thoughtful in conversation; had not seemed to view all things in that quiet and amusing light which he had been accustomed to do. Sir Francis saw that such was the case; and as he had remarked a similar change in his friend once before, and had discovered what was the cause, he divined it easily at present, and said one morning, when they were alone, "Driesen, you have been speculating, and have been unsuccessful. I see it in the sharpness of your nose. You'll have to come to me soon, I am sure, so you had better do so as soon as possible." Mr. Driesen turned upon his heel, whistling a few bars of a loose French song, and, without reply, walked out of the room. "There goes a proud man, who scoff's at pride," muttered Sir Francis Tyrrell to himself; and feeling himself superior to Mr. Driesen for the moment, which was pleasant to him, as he did not do so in general, he too whistled the same air, and proceeded to other matters.