Lord Verney ascended, leaning upon the arm of his nephew, with Mr. Larkin and the mayor for supporters, Captain Shrapnell, Doctor Lyster, and two or three other distinguished inhabitants of Cardyllian bringing up the rear. Lord Verney carried his head high, and grew reserved and rather silent as they got on, and as they passed under the solemn shadow of the great trees by the mill, an overloaded musket went off with a sound like a cannon, as Lord Verney afterwards protested, close to the unsuspecting party, and a loud and long whoop from John Evans completed the concerted signal. The Viscount actually jumped, and Cleve felt the shock of his arm against his side. "D---- you, John Evans, what the _devil_ are you _doing_?" exclaimed Captain Shrapnell, who, turning from white to crimson, was the first of the party to recover his voice. "Yes, sir, thank you--very good," said Evans, touching his hat, and smiling incessantly with the incoherent volubility of Welsh politeness. "A little bit of a squib, sir, if you please, for Captain Squire Etherage--very well, I thank you--to let him know Lord Verney--very much obliged, sir--was at the mill--how do you do, sir?--and going up to Hazelden, if you please, sir." And the speech subsided in a little, gratified laugh of delighted politeness. "You'd better not do that _again_, though," said the Captain, with a menacing wag of his head, and availing himself promptly of the opportunity of improving his relations with Lord Verney, he placed himself by his side, and assured him that though he was an old campaigner, and had smelt powder in all parts of the world, he had never heard such a report from a musket in all his travels and adventures before; and hoped Lord Verney's hearing was not the worse of it. He had known a general officer deafened by a shot, and, by Jove! his own ears were singing with it still, accustomed as he was, by Jupiter! to such things. His lordship, doing his best on the festive occasion, smiled uncomfortably, and said,-- "Yes--thanks--ha, ha! I really thought it was a cannon, or the gas-works--about it." And Shrapnell called back and said,-- "Don't you be coming on with that thing, John Evans--do you mind?--Lord Verney's had quite enough of that. You'll excuse me, Lord Verney, I thought you'd wish so much said," and Lord Verney bowed graciously. The answering shot and cheer which were heard from above announced to John Evans that the explosion had been heard at Hazelden, and still smiling and touching his heart, he continued his voluble civilities--"Very good, sir, very much obliged, sir, very well, I thank you; I hope you are very well, sir, very good indeed, sir," and so forth, till they were out of hearing.