his private nutrition and delight, and
crunch and eat it with a stern ecstasy of selfishness, himself; and I
fancy that the feelings of the quadrumanous victim, his jaws aching, his
pouch outraged, and his bon-bouche in the miscreant's mouth, a little
resembles those of the physician who has suffered so hideous a
mortification as that of Toole.

Toole quite forgave Dangerfield. That gentleman gave him to understand
that _his_ ministrations were much more to his mind than those of his
rival. But--and this was conveyed in strict confidence--this change was
put upon him by a--a--in fact a nobleman--Lord Castlemallard--with whom,
just now, Dr. Sturk can do a great deal; 'and you know I can't quarrel
with my lord. It has pained me, I assure you, very much; and to say
truth, whoever applied to him to interfere in the matter, was, in my
mind, guilty of an impertinence, though, as you see, I can't resent it.'

'_Whoever_ applied? 'tis pretty plain,' repeated Toole, with a vicious
sneer. 'The whispering, undermining--and as stupid as the Hill of Howth.
I wish you safe out of his hands, Sir.'

And positively, only for Aunt Becky, who was always spoiling this sort
of sport, and who restrained the gallant Toole by a peremptory
injunction, there would have been, in Nutter's unfortunate phrase, 'wigs
on the green,' next day.

So these gentlemen met on the terms I've described: and Nutter's
antipathy also, had waxed stronger and fiercer. And indeed, since
Dangerfield's arrival, and Sturk's undisguised endeavours to ingratiate
himself with Lord Castlemallard, and push him from his stool, they had
by consent ceased to speak to one another. When Sturk met Nutter, he,
being of superior stature, looked over his head at distant objects: and
when Nutter encountered Sturk, the little gentleman's dark face grew
instantaneously darker--first a shade--then another shadow--then the
blackness of thunder overspread it; and not only did he speak not a word
to Sturk, but seldom opened his lips, while that gentleman remained in
the room.

On the other hand, if some feuds grew blacker and fiercer by time, there
were others which were Christianly condoned; foremost among which was
the mortal quarrel between Nutter and O'Flaherty. On the evening of
their memorable meeting on the Fifteen Acres, Puddock dined out, and
O'Flaherty was too much exhausted to take any steps toward a better
understanding. But on the night following, when the club had their