ng with excitement and interest.

"Who are you?" demanded his lordship planting himself in front of the
shivering twain.

"Tompkins," murmured the blind one feebly, tears starting from the
blue slits and rolling down his cheeks.

"James, sir," answered the other, touching his damp forelock.

"Are they drunk?" asked Mrs. De Peyton, with fresh enthusiasm.

"No, they are not, poor fellows," cried Penelope. "They have taken
nothing but water."

"By Jove, deuced clever that," drawled the duke. "Eh?" to the New
Yorker.

"Deuced," from the Knickerbocker.

"Well, well, what's it all about?" demanded Bazelhurst.

"Mr. Shaw, sir," said James.

"Good Lord, couldn't you rescue him?" in horror.

"He rescued us, sir," mumbled Tompkins.

"You mean--"

"He throwed us in and then had to jump in and pull us out, sir.
Beggin' your pardon, sir, but _damn_ him!"

"And you didn't throw him in, after all? By Jove, extraordinary!"

"Do you mean to tell us that he threw you great hulking creatures into
the river? Single-handed?" cried Lady Bazelhurst, aghast.

"He did, Evelyn," inserted Penelope. "I met them coming home, and poor
Tompkins was out of his senses. I don't know how it happened, but--"

"It was this way, your ladyship," put in James, the groom. "Tompkins
and me could see him from the point there, sir, afishin' below the
log. So we says to each other 'Come on,' and up we went to where he
was afishin'. Tompkins, bein' the game warden, says he to him 'Hi
there!' He was plainly on our property, sir, afishin' from a boat for
bass, sir. 'Hello, boys,' says he back to us. 'Get off our land,' says
Tompkins. 'I am,' says he; 'it's water out here where I am.' Then--"

"You're wrong," broke in Tompkins. "He said 'it's wet out here where I
am.'"

"You're right. It was wet. Then Tompkins called him a vile name, your
lordship--shall I repeat it, sir?"

"No, no!" cried four feminine voices.

"Yes, do," muttered the duke.

"He didn't wait after that, sir. He rowed to shore in a flash and
landed on our land. 'What do you mean by that?' he said, mad-like. 'My
orders is to put you off this property,' says Tompkins, 'or to throw
you in the river.' 'Who gave these orders?' asked Mr. Shaw. 'Lord
Bazelhurst, sir, damn you--' beg pardon, sir; it slipped out. 'And who
the devil is Lord Bazelhurst?' said he. 'Hurst,' said Tompkins.
'He owns this ground. Can't you see the mottoes on the trees--No
Trespassin'?'--but Mr. Shaw said: