“Sail in, sail in, John, and take the ship by storm. I tell you a maiden¹ likes a man who overcomes obstacles, instead of pottering around, mooning like a calf². You leave her too much alone, and it is no telling what fancies she will get into her giddy pate³.”

 

“I am not going to furnish food for her mirth with Wingfield,” answered John angrily, recollecting⁴ the previous attempts to see her which had been met by a drastic snubbing. “I shall guard her in every way I can, but I have made the last advances I intend to.”

 

“John, you are what I call a simon-pure fool.”

 

“Fool or no fool, I am a man.” And with that unanswerable argument Laydon walked away.

 

Turning over various plans in his head whereby he might help John, Adam was startled as the shadow of Wingfield fell in front of him.

 

117

 

“Take your hulking carcass out of the path of a gentleman,” said Wingfield to Adam.

 

“Gentleman?” inquired Adam. “Where is he? I do not see him.”

 

“Do you dare to insult your betters, you base-born cub⁵?”

 

“Base-born!” yelled Adam. “My ancestors come from better stock than yours, seeing they were honest men.”

 

“Honest men? Why, you cannot look an honest man in the face.”

 

“I will tell you how that happened,” replied Adam, restored to good humor by the thrust he had given Wingfield. “Originally both eyes looked in the same direction, but whenever I was talking to an honest man I had to keep one eye upon the rogue⁶. The strain was too much and they parted company. The blue eye, being the keener, I keep

分享到：