Do I?鈥
Thanks, my dear sir, for the 鈥榳e,鈥 but I must go alone,鈥 said Lord Bellasis dryly. To-morrow you can settle with me for the sitting of last week. Hark! the clock is striking nine. Good night.鈥
Let me pass, sir!鈥 cried North, with heightened colour; and ignoring the proffered hand, strode savagely on.
Mr. North has suddenly turned pale.
What do you say? Come, I think I deserve a kiss for that.鈥
Rufus Dawes had been a fortnight at the settlement when a new-comer appeared on the chain-gang. This was a young man of about twenty years of age, thin, fair, and delicate. His name was Kirkland, and he belonged to what were known as the educated鈥 prisoners. He had been a clerk in a banking house, and was transported for embezzlement, though, by some, grave doubts as to his guilt were entertained. The Commandant, Captain Burgess, had employed him as butler in his own house, and his fate was considered a lucky鈥 one. So, doubtless, it was, and might have been, had not an untoward accident occurred. Captain Burgess, who was a bachelor of the old school鈥, confessed to an amiable weakness for blasphemy, and was given to condemning the convicts鈥 eyes and limbs with indiscriminate violence. Kirkland belonged to a Methodist family and owned a piety utterly out of place in that region. The language of Burgess made him shudder, and one day he so far forgot himself and his place as to raise his hands to his ears. My blank!鈥 cried Burgess. You blank blank, is that your blank game? I鈥檒l blank soon cure you of that!鈥 and forthwith ordered him to the chain-gang for insubordination鈥.
But that would be a declaration of war,鈥 said poor Francis, twisting an Italian onyx which adorned his irresolute hand. I would not advise that.鈥