“You mistake altogether, Mark,” said she, eagerly. “It is no question whatever, whether your friend Mr. Maitland goes away disgusted with Ireland, and sick of us all. It is a much graver matter here. What if he were to shoot this old man? I suppose a fine gentleman as he is would deem it a very suitable punishment to any one who even passingly angered him.” “But why should there be anything of the kind? It is to me Maitland would come at once if there were such a matter in hand.” “I'm not so sure of that; and I am sure that Raikes overheard provocation pass between them, and that the Commodore left this half an hour ago, merely telling Sally that he had forgotten some lease or law paper that he ought to have sent off by post.” “If that be the case, there's nothing to be done.” “How do you mean nothing to be done?” “I mean, that as Maitland has not consulted me, I have no pretence to know anything about it.” “But if you do know it, and if I tell it to you?” “All that would not amount to such knowledge as I could avail myself of. Maitland is not a man with whom any one can take liberties, Alice.” “What?” said she, haughtily, and as though she had but partly heard his speech. “I said that no man takes liberties with Maitland.” A very insolent laugh from Alice was the answer. “Come, come,” cried Mark, angrily. “All these scornful airs are not in keeping with what you yourself wrote about Maitland to Bella just two days ago.” “And had Bella--did she show you my letters?” “I don't believe she intended me to see the turned-down bit at the end; but I did see it, and I read a very smart sketch of Norman Maitland, but not done by an unfriendly hand.” “It's not too late to revoke my opinion,” said she, passionately. “But this is all quite beside what I'm thinking of. Will you go down and see Mr. Maitland?” “He's in bed and asleep an hour ago.” “He is not. I can see the light on the gravel from his windows; and if he were asleep, he could be awakened, I suppose.” “I have not the slightest pretext to intrude upon him, Alice.” “What nonsense all this is! Who is he,--what is he, that he must be treated with all this deference?” “It 's somewhat too late in the day to ask who and what the man is of whom every society in Europe contests the possession.” “My dear Mark, be reasonable. What have we to do just now with all the courtly flatteries that have been extended to your distinguished friend, or the thousand and one princesses he might have married? What I want is that he should n't, first of all, make a great scandal; and secondly, shoot a very worthy old neighbor, whose worst sin is being very tiresome.” “And what I want is, first, that Maitland should n't carry away from this county such an impression that he'd never endure the thought of revisiting it; and secondly, I want to go to bed, and so good-night.”