“And that is worse!” sighed Sir John. “And she’s dev’lish clever and quick—for all her size. Aye, a passionate creeter ... a goddess ... all fire, Jack, or freezing cold ... she’ll never”—here the Captain sighed heavily—“no, she’ll never marry me, ’tis sure—although——” “Never, Tom!” “Oh, begad!” exclaimed the Captain, startled. “Sink me, but ye seem dem’d sure about it!” “Tommy, I am!” “And why, pray?” “Because if she ever marries any one, that one will be me.” “You—you, Jack! You of all men?” stammered the Captain. “Myself!” “Good Ged!” gasped the Captain. “But——” “Good-bye!” quoth Sir John, and, seizing his companion’s hand, he shook it heartily and went his airy way, leaving the Captain to stare after him quite dumbfounded. CHAPTER XX HOW SIR JOHN PLEDGED HIS WORD: WITH SOME DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTIES OF SNUFF The ancient town of Lewes was a-throng, its High Street full of cheery bustle. Here were squires and gentry in lace and velvet, farmers and yeomen in broadcloth and homespun, drovers and shepherds in smock-frocks and leggings; spurs jingled, whips cracked, staves and crooks wagged and flourished in salutation; horsemen and pedestrians jostled one another good-naturedly, exchanging news or shouting jovial greetings; wains and waggons creaked and rumbled, wheels rattled and hoofs stamped, a blithe riot of sounds, for it was market-day. Now presently, down the hill from London, past the ancient church of St. Mary Westout, drove an elegant travelling-carriage, its panels resplendent with an escutcheon well known hereabouts, for, beholding it, all folk, both gentle and peasant, hasted to make way; so the blood-horses were reined up and the great chariot came to a stand before the portals of the ‘White Hart’ inn, whereupon it was surrounded by a crowd eager for sight of the grand personage whose rank and fame lifted him so high above the vulgar herd. My Lord Sayle, being in a very black and evil humour, paid scant heed to the shy and somewhat perfunctory greeting accorded him by the spectators, but strode into the inn without deigning a glance right or left. Forth hasted the bowing landlord to usher his distinguished guest to the best chamber; and my lord, scowling and mumchance, was about to mount the wide stairway when a young gentleman, descending in somewhat of a hurry, had the misfortune to jostle my Lord Sayle’s wounded arm, and was murmuring an apology when my lord interrupted him with a roar that, almost immediately, made them the centre of a curious, gaping crowd, the which served but to inflame my lord the more, and he raged until the place echoed of him. “Damn ye, sir,” he ended, “if ye were a man instead of a whey-faced lad I’d give myself the joy of killing ye at the earliest moment!” “Sir,” retorted the unfortunate young gentleman, becoming paler still, “I venture to regard myself as a man, none the less——”