Vaughan in his heart would have been glad to fall upon him and pommel him. But there were objections to that course. On the other hand, his feelings had cooled in the last few minutes, and he was far from prepared to announce offhand that he was going to marry the beauty. So “No, you will not, Flixton,” he said. “Let it go! Do you hear? The fact is,” he continued, in some embarrassment, “I’m in a sort of fiduciary relation to the young lady, and—and I am not going to see her played with. That’s the fact.” “Fiduciary relation?” the Honourable Bob retorted, in perplexity. “What the deuce is that? Never heard of it! D’you mean, man, that you are—eh?—related to her? Of course, if so——” “No, I am not related to her.” “Then——” “But I’m not going to see her made a fool of, that’s all!” An idea struck the Honourable Bob. He stared. “See here,” he said in a tone of horror, “you ain’t—you ain’t thinking of marrying her?” Vaughan’s cheeks burned. “May be, and may be not,” he said curtly. “But either way, it is my business!” “But surely you’re not! Man alive!” “It is my business, I say!” “Of course, of course, if it is as bad as that,” Flixton answered with a grin. “But—hope I don’t intrude, Vaughan, but ain’t you making a bit of a fool of yourself? What’ll old Vermuyden say, eh?” “That’s my business too!” Vaughan answered haughtily. “Just so, just so; and quite enough for me. All I say is—if you are not in earnest yourself, don’t play the dog in the manger!” XI DON GIOVANNI FLIXTON In the political world the last week of April and the first week of May of that year were fraught with surprises. It is probable that they saw more astonished people than are to be found in England in an ordinary twelvemonth. The party which had monopolised power for half a century, and to that end and the advancement of themselves, their influence, their friends, and their dependants, had spent the public money, strained the law, and supported the mob, were incredibly, nay, were bitterly surprised when they saw all these engines turned against them; when they found dependants falling off and friends growing cold; above all, when they found that rabble, which they had so often directed, aiming its yells and brickbats against their windows.