The charming Captain mistook him probably for some rustic servant of the place, for he continued his agreeable remarks up to the very moment when Dudley, whose face was pale with anger, and whose rapid advance had not served to cool him, without recollecting to salute either Milly or me, accosted our elegant companion as follows:-- 'By your leave, master, baint you summat in the wrong box here, don't you think?' He had planted himself directly in his front, and looked unmistakably menacing. 'May I speak to him? Will you excuse me?' said the Captain blandly. 'Ow--ay, they'll excuse ye ready enough, I dessay; you're to deal wi' me though. Baint ye in the wrong box now?' 'I'm not conscious, sir, of being in a box at all,' replied the Captain, with severe disdain. 'It strikes me you are disposed to get up a row. Let us, if you please, get a little apart from the ladies if that is your purpose.' 'I mean to turn you out o' this the way ye came. If you make a row, so much the wuss for you, for I'll lick ye to fits.' 'Tell him not to fight,' whispered Milly; 'he'll a no chance wi' Dudley.' I saw Dickon Hawkes grinning over the paling on which he leaned. 'Mr. Hawkes,' I said, drawing Milly with me toward that unpromising mediator, 'pray prevent unpleasantness and go between them.' 'An' git licked o' both sides? Rather not, Miss, thank ye,' grinned Dickon, tranquilly. 'Who are you, sir?' demanded our romantic acquaintance, with military sternness. 'I'll tell you who you are--you're Oakley, as stops at the Hall, that Governor wrote, over-night, not to dare show your nose inside the grounds. You're a half-starved cappen, come down here to look for a wife, and----' Before Dudley could finish his sentence, Captain Oakley, than whose face no regimentals could possibly have been more scarlet, at that moment, struck with his switch at Dudley's handsome features. I don't know how it was done--by some 'devilish cantrip slight.' A smack was heard, and the Captain lay on his back on the ground, with his mouth full of blood. 'How do ye like the taste o' that?' roared Dickon, from his post of observation. In an instant Captain Oakley was on his feet again, hatless, looking quite frantic, and striking out at Dudley, who was ducking and dipping quite coolly, and again the same horrid sound, only this time it was double, like a quick postman's knock, and Captain Oakley was on the grass again. 'Tapped his smeller, by--!' thundered Dickon, with a roar of laughter. 'Come away, Milly--I'm growing ill,' said I. 'Drop it, Dudley, I tell ye; you'll kill him,' screamed Milly. But the devoted Captain, whose nose, and mouth, and shirt-front formed now but one great patch of blood, and who was bleeding beside over one eye, dashed at him again. I turned away. I felt quite faint, and on the point of crying, with mere horror. 'Hammer away at his knocker,' bellowed Dickon, in a frenzy of delight.