“A stranger,--an Englishman; you never heard of him; and I wish I had never heard of him!” “What are you smiling at?” said she, after a pause, for he stood as though reflecting, and a very strange half-smile moved his mouth. “I was just thinking,” said he, gravely, “what his younger brother ought to give me; for this fellow was an elder son, and heir to a fine estate too.” She turned an indignant glance towards him, and moved away. He was quickly after her, however, and, laying his hand on her arm, said good-humoredly: “Come, don't be angry with me. I 'm sorry, if you like,--I 'm very sorry for this poor fellow. I won't say that my own loss does not dash my sorrow with a little anger,--he was such a horse! and the whole thing was such a blunder! as fair a brook,--with a high bank, it's true,--but as fair a fence as ever & man rode at, and ground like this we 're walking over to take off from.” “Is he in danger?” “I believe so; here's what my wife says. Oh, I haven't got the letter about me, but it comes to this, I was to send down one of the best doctors by the first train, telling him it was a case of compression or concussion, which is it? And so I have despatched Beattie, your grandfather's man. I suppose there 's no better?” “But why have you not gone back yourself? He was a friend, was he not?” “Yes, he was what people would call a friend. I 'm like the hare in the fable, I have many friends; but if I must be confidential, I 'll tell you why I did _not_ go. I had a notion, just as likely to be wrong as right, that the Chief would take offence at his Registrar being a sporting character, and that if I were to absent myself just now, he'd find out the reason, whereas by staying here I could keep all quiet, and when Beattie came back I could square _him_.” “You could what?” “A thousand pardons for my bit of slang; but the fact is, just as one talks French when he wants to say nothings, one takes to slang when one requires to be shifty. I meant to say, I could manage to make the doctor hold his tongue.” “Not if grandpapa were to question him.” Sewell smiled, and shook his head in dissent. “No, no. You're quite mistaken in Dr. Beattie; and what's more, you 're quite mistaken in grandpapa too, if you imagine that he 'll think the better of you for forgetting the claims of friendship.” “There was none.” “Well, of humanity, then! It was in _your_ cause this man suffered, and it is in _your_ house he lies ill. I think you ought to be there also.” “Do you think so?” “I 'm sure of it. You know the world a great deal better than I do, and you can tell what people will say of your absence; but I think it requires no knowledge of more than one's own nature to feel what is right and proper here.” “Indeed!” said he, reflectingly. “Don't you agree with me?” “Perhaps,--that is, in part. I suppose what you mean about the world is, that there will be some scandal afloat, the 'young wife' story, and all that sort of balderdash?”