ard him stride upstairs, enter his bedroom, and close the door with
a most sonorous bang. Affairs remained in this position nearly a quarter
of an hour, no one feeling inclined to be the first to speak. At
length the silence was broken by Oaklands, who, addressing himself to
Cumberland, said:--

"I am afraid this absurd piece of business has completely marred the
harmony of the evening. Get up, Mr. Mullins," he continued, removing his
legs, and assisting him to rise; "I hope I did not hurt you just now."

In reply to this Mullins grumbled out something intended as a negative,
and, shambling across the room, placed himself in a corner, as far as
possible from Oaklands, where he sat rubbing his knees, the very image
of sulkiness and terror. Cumberland, who appeared during the whole
course of the affair absorbed in a book, though, in fact, not a single
word or look had escaped him, now came forward and apologised, in a
quiet, gentlemanly manner (which, when he was inclined, no one could
assume with greater success), for Lawless's impertinence, which had
only, he said, met with its proper reward.

"You must excuse me, Mr. Cumberland, if I cannot agree with you,"
replied Oaklands; "since I have had time to cool a little, I see the
matter in quite a different light. Mr. Lawless was perfectly right;
the carelessness of my manner must naturally have seemed as if I were
purposely giving myself airs, but I can assure you such was not the
case."

He paused for a moment, and then continued, with a half-embarrassed
smile:--

~57~~"The fact is, I am afraid that I have been spoiled at home; my
mother died when I was a little child, and my dear father, having nobody
else to care about, thought, I believe, that there was no one in the
world equal to me, and that nothing was too good for me. Of course, all
our servants and people have taken their tone from him, so that I have
never had any one to say to me, 'Nay,' and am therefore not at all used
to the sort of thing. I hope I do not often lose my temper as I have
done this evening; but really Mr. Lawless appears quite an adept in the
art of ingeniously tormenting."

"I am afraid you must have found so much exertion very fatiguing,"
observed Coleman, politely.

"A fair hit, Mr. Coleman," replied Oaklands, laughing. "No! those are
not the things that tire me, somehow; but in general I am very easily
knocked up--I am indeed--most things are so much trouble, and I hate
trouble; I s