"It was not civil in her to decline the invitation, and I don't wonder that Walker was a little vexed at her refusal. She is a pert minx, marm, and has not been well brought up, or she would have known better than to decline," added the magnate, bestowing a look of severity upon the fair maiden. Mrs. Bristol and Paul saw that it was useless to attempt to reason with such a man, and they were silent. The major took out his handkerchief, and wiped the perspiration from his face. Then he felt of his nose and the region about his two eyes, between which the son of toil had planted his hard fist. Doubtless there was a soreness in those parts, and perhaps the visual organs of the father would be clothed in sable wreaths by the next day. "That boy must be punished, severely punished, for what he has done," the major resumed. "He has had the audacity to strike me in the face,--me, the benefactor of the whole family!" "Didn't you catch me by the throat, and hit me with your riding-whip, sir?" asked Paul calmly and meekly. "What if I did! Do you mean to put yourself on a level with me, you young reprobate?" demanded the magnate, his wrath beginning to boil again. "Woman, I say that boy must be severely punished for this," he continued, turning to Mrs. Bristol again. "He must be whipped till he can't stand up!" "Who will whip him, sir?" asked the poor woman innocently. "I will do it, if you don't, marm," replied the major savagely. "I could not whip him, sir; he is a great deal stronger than I am; and, if he is whipped at all, you must do it, sir;" but Mrs. Bristol seemed to think there was something a little satirical in what she said. "Then I will do it!" said the magnate, raising his riding-whip. "Perhaps he will not allow you to whip him, sir," suggested Mrs. Bristol; and even her anger appeared to be approaching the boiling-point. "The boy deserves to be severely punished. If he submits to the whipping which Walker and I will give him, we may be willing to let the matter drop where it is." "You had better arrange it with Paul, sir. I should as soon think of whipping Colonel Buckmill as my son," replied the poor woman with a decided touch of satire in her tones and manner. "If the young villain submits, very well." "If you should begin to punish him, I have no doubt he will speak or act for himself," she added. "Bristol, you hear what has been said. Will you submit to the punishment you deserve?" demanded the major severely, turning to the culprit. "No, sir, I will not." "Do you hear him, marm?" "I do, sir; and he answers just as I supposed he would." "Then you uphold him in his treacherous treatment of my son? Then you countenance him in biting the hand that feeds him?" Mrs. Bristol made no reply, for she did not wish to irritate the powerful man unnecessarily. She looked at her son, and she was proud of him.