e fiery young
prince of Kingsland. With the yell of an enraged tiger he sprung upon
Mr. Parmalee, hurled him to the ground in a twinkling, and twisted his
left hand into Mr. Parmalee's blue cotton neckerchief, showering blows
with his right fast and furious.

The attack was so swift and savage that Mr. Parmalee lay perfectly
stunned and helpless, turning unpleasantly black in the face, his eyes
staring, the blood gushing.

Kneeling on his fallen foe, with fiery face and distended eyes, Sir
Everard looked for the moment an incarnate young demon. It flashed
upon him, swift as lightning, in his sudden madness, what he was about.

"I'll murder him if I stay here," he thought; and as the thought
crossed his mind, with a shriek and a swish of silk, in rushed Miss
Silver and flung herself between them.

"Good Heaven! Sir Everard, have you gone mad? In mercy's name, stop
before you have quite murdered him!"

"Dog--cur!" he cried. "Get up and quit my house, or, by the living
light above us, I'll blow your brains out as I would a mad hound's!"

He swung round and strode out of the picture-gallery, and slowly,
slowly arose the prostrate hero, with bloody face and blackened eyes.

"Get up, Mr. Parmalee," she said, "and go away at once. The woman at
the lodge will give you soap and water and a towel, and you can make
yourself decent before entering the village. If you don't hurry you'll
need a guide. Your eyes are as large as bishop pippins, and closing
fast now."

She nearly laughed again, as she assisted her slaughtered betrothed to
his feet Mr. Parmalee wiped the blood out of his eyes and looked
dizzily about him.

"Where is he?" he gasped.

"Sir Everard? He has gone, I believe he would have killed you outright
only I came in and tore him off. What on earth did you say to
infuriate him so?"

"I say?" exclaimed the artist, fiercely. "I said nothing, and you know
it. It was you, you confounded Delilah, you mischief-making deceiver,
who showed him that air note!"

"I protest I did nothing of the sort!" cried Sybilla, indignantly. "He
was in my lady's room when I entered, and he saw the note in my hand.
She was asleep, and I tried to escape and take the note with me, but he
ordered me to leave it and go. Of course I had to obey. If he read
it, it was no fault of mine; but I don't believe he did. You have no
right to blame me, Mr. Parmalee."

"I'll be even with him for this, the insulting young aristoc