He would not, however, but went on in the same strain of fulsome flattery, and said things which I will not write here. Seeing that I could not pass him, I turned to go back to the village, but a single stride brought him to my side. "Not so fast, fair lady!" said he. "You are the rightful captive of my bow and spear, and do not escape so easily. What! It was another cavalier you were waiting for!" "I was waiting for nobody!" said I. "I was on my way home about my own business and my Lady's." He laughed in his impudent, jeering fashion, and saying something about pretty Puritan airs and graces, attempted to put his arm round my waist. Then all the old Merton temper flashed up in me in an instant, and I am ashamed to say, I turned upon him and slapped his face so soundly as to leave the prints of my fingers on his pink cheeks. Nay, I verily believe I made his nose bleed. I am sure my own palm smarted for an hour after. He withdrew his arm with an oath, which sounded much more genuine than his compliments, and clapped his hand to his face. I burst from him, and running down the path, half blind with shame and anger, I ran right into Mr. Corbet's arms, who was coming up the coomb, followed by his dogs. "Margaret!" he exclaimed, in amazement, and well he might, for my dress was disordered, and I dare say I looked like a fury. "What is the matter? What has so discomposed you?" For the moment I saw him, I felt myself safe, and, like a fool, I burst into tears, and cried as Betty herself might have done. In the midst of my distress, and while he was trying to soothe me, and get some sense out of me, Lord Saville made his appearance. "So!" said he. "Oriana hath found her Amadis, it seems. Doubtless the fair dame knew her knight was in hearing when she resisted with such ferocious virtue. 'Tis an old trick, but it may do for the west country." "My Lord!" said Walter—I may call him so here—"If you say another word or offer another affront to this lady, I will put you over the cliff yonder, and give you a worse wetting than old Norman Leslie did in Paris, when he laid your face downward in the gutter for sneering at his Scotch accent." Lord Saville grew pale with rage. "You shall answer this!" said he. "You shall give me the satisfaction of a gentleman!" "The satisfaction of a gentleman is due to gentlemen!" answered Walter. "Nay, never grind your teeth at me, I know you well!" And with that, he said some words in Italian, at which Lord Saville blenched as if he had been struck. "Allow me to see you home, Mistress Merton!" said Walter. And putting the courtier aside, as if he had been an intrusive dog, he passed him and led me toward home. "Sit down a moment," said he, kindly, seeing that I trembled so that I could hardly stand. "You are quite overcome." "I am very silly," I stammered, "but oh, nobody ever spoke so to me before." "'Tis not worth minding," said Mr. Corbet. "How did it chance?"