e forward excitedly:

"You are Major d'Arcy?" he challenged.

The Major bowed.

"Why then, sir, give me leave to say we've had the extreme good fortune
to catch a poacher on your land. You'll know me of course. I'm Sir
Oliver Rington of Chevening."

"No!" said the Major.

"Then you'll have heard of me, to be sure?"

"I fear not."

"Sir, I'm your member--and----"

"I rejoice to know it!"

"And justice o' the peace."

"I felicitate you!"

"As such, sir, 'tis my present endeavour to get an enactment passed
making the law more rigorous against poaching----"

"A noble work!" sighed the Major.

"In the which, sir, I am being vigorously supported by the neighbouring
gentry. You are a stranger in these parts, I think?"

"I have resided at the Manor precisely a month and two days, sir."

"Then, sir, permit me to say that the quality hereabouts are united
against such miserable rogues as this damned poaching rascal."

"You are something in the majority, 'twould seem!" said the Major,
glancing from the blood-smeared face of the solitary captive to the
shuffling throng.

"We are determined to put down such roguery with a firm hand, sir,"
answered Sir Oliver, truculently, "I have already succeeded in having
four such rascals as yon transported for life, sir."

"For a dem rebbit--O Ged!" exclaimed Lord Alton.

"You forget, Alton," interposed Mr. Dalroyd, languidly, "you forget,
the rabbit may be a sheep next week, a horse the next, your purse the
next and----"

"And this, sir, was merely a rabbit, I believe, which happens to be
mine," said the Major, turning to glance at the speaker.

Mr. Dalroyd was tall and slim and pallidly handsome; from black periwig
to elegant riding boots he was _point-de-vice_, a languid, soft-spoken,
very fine gentleman indeed, who surveyed the Major's tall, upright
figure, with sleepy-lidded eyes. So for a long moment they viewed each
other, the Major serene of brow, his hands buried in the pockets of his
threadbare Ramillie coat, Mr. Dalroyd cool and leisuredly critical, yet
gradually as he met the other's languid gaze, the Major's expression
changed, his black brows twitched together, his keen eyes grew suddenly
intent and withdrawing a hand from his pocket, he began absently to
finger the scar that marked his temple; then Mr. Dalroyd smiled faintly
and turned a languid shoulder.

"Gentlemen," said he, "our sport is done, the play grows wearisome--let
us be gone."

At t