“Put them down, sir,--put them down at once; that is, I acknowledged that there was a sort of fair ground; I agreed in thinking that, everything considered, and looking to what we saw every day around us in life--and Heaven knows it is a strange world, and the more one sees of it the less he knows--” “I 'm curious to hear,” said Dunn, with a stern fixedness of manner, “in what quarter you heard these comments on my character.” Hankes trembled from head to foot. He was in the witness-box, and felt that one syllable might place him in the dock. “You never heard one word of the kind in your life, sir, and you _know_ it,” said Dunn, with a savage energy of tone that made the other sick with fear. “If ever there was a man whose daily life refuted such a calumny, it was myself.” Dunn's emotions were powerful, and he walked the room from end to end with long and determined strides. Suddenly halting at last, he looked Hankes steadily in the face, and said,-- “It was the Kellett girl dared thus to speak of me, was it not? The truth, sir,--the truth; I _will_ have it out of you!” “Well, I must own you are right. It was Miss Kellett.” Heaven forgive you, Mr. Hankes, for the lie, inasmuch as you never intended to tell it till it was suggested to you. “Can you recall the circumstance which elicited this remark? I mean,” said he, with an affected carelessness of manner, “how did it occur? You were chatting together,--discussing people and events, eh?” “Yes, sir; just so.” “And she observed--Do you chance to remember the phrase she used?” “I give you my word of honor I do not, sir,” said Hankes, with a sincere earnestness. “People who fancy themselves clever--and Miss Kellett is one of that number--have a trick of eliminating every trait of a man's character from some little bias,--some accidental bend given to his youthful mind. I am almost certain--nay, I feel persuaded--it was by some such light that young lady read me. She had heard I was remarkable as a schoolboy for this, that, or t' other,--I saved my pocket-money, or lent it out at interest. Come, was it not with the aid of an ingenious explanation of this kind she interpreted me?” Mr. Hankes shook his head, and looked blankly disconsolate. “Not that I value such people's estimate of me,” said Dunn, angrily. “Calumniate, vilify, depreciate as they will, here I stand, with my foot on the first step of the peerage. Ay, Hankes, I have made my own terms; the first 'Gazette' after the new elections will announce Mr. Davenport Dunn as Lord Castledunn.”