It might have been rude for Zephaniah to speak at this juncture, and a great piece of presumption in him to imagine that a lord and a gentleman should admit, unasked, into their colloquy a low-born plebeian critic; but still we cannot altogether acquit Lord Spoonbill of rudeness for purposely and broadly repressing the poor man, and treating the man of genius like a mere common man. Zephaniah felt the indignity most deeply, and resented it mentally, fully purposing to have his revenge in some form or other. There seemed however very slight prospect of an opportunity of retaliating, for Lord Spoonbill did not shew symptoms of book-making. The critic remained during the conference between Lord Spoonbill and Mr Erpingham in profound silence; and the conference ended at last in the promise and overture of serious negotiation for the sale of the cottage to Lord Spoonbill. CHAPTER XI. It is now necessary to return to Smatterton. As soon as Penelope had closed the eyes of the poor sufferer, and had heard from the lips of the elder Mr Darnley those compliments which his politeness and good feeling led him to pay her on the ground of her attention to the sick and the desolate, she returned to her father at the rectory, and related to him all the occurrences of that eventful morning. He listened with patient attention, for he loved to hear his daughter’s voice. But he expressed some feeling of impatience at what he was pleased to call the coxcomical pride of Mr Darnley, the rector of Neverden.