osoms of the ladies who had ceased to ride, by accounting for this
particular mishap in the most reassuring fashion. Cecil's immediate
reflection was that the unfortunate smoker had left a rich widow. Far
behind in the race for Miss Halkett, and uncertain of a settled advantage
in his other rivalry with Beauchamp, he fixed his mind on the widow, and
as Beauchamp did not stand in his way, but on the contrary might help
him--for she, like the generality of women, admired Nevil Beauchamp in
spite of her feminine good sense and conservatism--Cecil began to regard
the man he felt less opposed to with some recognition of his merits. The
two nephews accompanied Lord Avonley to London, and slept at his
town-house.

They breakfasted together the next morning on friendly terms. Half an
hour afterward there was an explosion; uncle and nephews were scattered
fragments: and if Cecil was the first to return to cohesion with his lord
and chief, it was, he protested energetically, common policy in a man in
his position to do so: all that he looked for being a decent pension and
a share in the use of the town-house. Old Nevil, he related, began
cross-examining him and entangling him with the cunning of the deuce, in
my lord's presence, and having got him to make an admission, old Nevil
flung it at the baron, and even crossed him and stood before him when he
was walking out of the room. A furious wrangle took place. Nevil and the
baron gave it to one another unmercifully. The end of it was that all
three flew apart, for Cecil confessed to having a temper, and in contempt
of him for the admission wrung out of him, Lord Avonley had pricked it.
My lord went down to Steynham, Beauchamp to Holdesbury, and Captain
Baskelett to his quarters; whence in a few days he repaired penitently to
my lord--the most placable of men when a full submission was offered to
him.

Beauchamp did nothing of the kind. He wrote a letter to Steynham in the
form of an ultimatum.

This egregious letter was handed to Rosamund for a proof of her darling's
lunacy. She in conversation with Stukely Culbrett unhesitatingly accused
Cecil of plotting his cousin's ruin.

Mr. Culbrett thought it possible that Cecil had been a little more than
humorous in the part he had played in the dispute, and spoke to him.

Then it came out that Lord Avonley had also delivered an ultimatum to
Beauchamp.

Time enough had gone by for Cecil to forget his ruffling, and relish the
baron's