Ellen tried to keep from smiling, but could not; and others of the party did not try. William and his sister were enraged, the more because John had said nothing they could take hold of, or even repeat. Gilbert made common cause with them. "I wish I was grown up for once," said William. "Will you fight _me_, Sir?" asked Gilbert, who was a matter of three years older, and well-grown enough. His question received no answer, and was repeated. "No, Sir." "Why not, Sir?" "I am afraid you'd lay me up with a sprained ankle," said John, "and I should not get back to Doncaster as quickly as I must." "It is very mean of him," said Gilbert, as John walked away — "I could whip him, I know." "Who's that?" said Mr. Howard Marshman. "John Humphreys." "John Humphreys! You had better not meddle with him, my dear fellow. It would be no particular proof of wisdom." "Why, he is no such great affair," said Gilbert, "he's tall enough, to be sure, but I don't believe he is heavier than I am." "You don't know, in the first place, how to judge of the size of a perfectly well-made man; and, in the second place, _I_ was not a match for him a year ago; so you may judge — I do not know precisely," he went on to the lady he was walking with, "what it takes to rouse John Humphreys; but when he is roused, he seems to me to have strength enough for twice his bone and muscle. I have seen him do curious things once or twice!" "That quiet Mr. Humphreys?" "Humph!" said Mr. Howard — "gunpowder is pretty quiet stuff, so long as it keeps cool." The next day another matter happened to disturb Ellen. Margaret had received an elegant pair of ear-rings as a Christmas present, and was showing them for the admiration of her young friends. Ellen's did not satisfy her. "Ain't they splendid?" said she. "Tell the truth, now, Ellen Montgomery, wouldn't you give a great deal if somebody would send you such a pair?" "They are very pretty," said Ellen, "but I don't think I care much for such things — I would rather have the money." "Oh, you avaricious! — Mr. Marshman!" cried Margaret, as the old gentleman was just then passing through the room — "here's Ellen Montgomery says she'd rather have money than anything else for her present." He did not seem to hear her, and went out without making any reply. "Oh, Margaret!" said Ellen, shocked and distressed — "how could you! how could you! What will Mr. Marshman think?" Margaret answered she didn't care what he thought. Ellen could only hope he had not heard. But a day or two after, when neither Ellen nor her friends were present, Mr. Marshman asked who it was that had told him Ellen Montgomery would like money better than anything else for her New Year's present. "It was I, Sir," said Margaret. "It sounds very unlike her to say so," remarked Mrs. Chauncey. "Did she say so?" inquired Mr. Marshman. "I understood her so," said Margaret — "I understood her to say she wouldn't care for anything else."