deliberately,
with perfect self-control, and with a side-glance at Frida. "Every human
being has a natural right to walk across this copse, which is all
waste ground, and has no crop sown in it. The pheasants can't be yours;
they're common property. Besides, there's a lady. We mean to make our
way across the copse at our leisure, picking flowers as we go, and come
out into the road on the other side of the spinney. It's a universal
right of which no country and no law can possibly deprive us."

Sir Lionel was livid with rage. Strange as it may appear to any
reasoning mind, the man really believed he had a natural right to
prevent people from crossing that strip of wood where his pheasants were
sitting. His ancestors had assumed it from time immemorial, and by dint
of never being questioned had come to regard the absurd usurpation as
quite fair and proper. He placed himself straight across the narrow
path, blocking it up with his short and stumpy figure. "Now look here,
young man," he said, with all the insolence of his caste: "if you try to
go on, I'll stand here in your way; and if you dare to touch me, it's
a common assault, and, by George, you'll have to answer at law for the
consequences."

Bertram Ingledew for his part was all sweet reasonableness. He raised
one deprecating hand. "Now, before we come to open hostilities," he said
in a gentle voice, with that unfailing smile of his, "let's talk the
matter over like rational beings. Let's try to be logical. This copse
is considered yours by the actual law of the country you live in: your
tribe permits it to you: you're allowed to taboo it. Very well, then; I
make all possible allowances for your strange hallucination. You've been
brought up to think you had some mystic and intangible claim to this
corner of earth more than other people, your even Christians. That
claim, of course, you can't logically defend; but failing arguments, you
want to fight for it. Wouldn't it be more reasonable, now, to show you
had some RIGHT or JUSTICE in the matter? I'm always reasonable: if you
can convince me of the propriety and equity of your claim, I'll go back
as you wish by the way I entered. If not--well, there's a lady here, and
I'm bound, as a man, to help her safely over."

Sir Lionel almost choked. "I see what you are," he gasped out with
difficulty. "I've heard this sort of rubbish more than once before.
You're one of these damned land-nationalising radicals."

"On the c