nything but the best of spirits, for he did not look forward with any
feeling of pleasure to his next meeting with his cousin. Upon reaching
home he found from divers signs that company was expected to dinner; for
the cloth was laid for five, the best glass was on the table, there were
flowers and fruit, and sundry fumes from the kitchen ascended into the
hall, suggesting extra preparations there as well.

Tom had hardly reached this point when his cousin came out of the
library scowling.

"Here, bumpkin," he cried, "you're to look sharp and put on your best
things. It's not my doing, I can tell you, but the pater says you're to
come in to dinner."

"Who's coming?" said Tom.

"What's that to you? Pretty cheeky that. I suppose you ought to have
been asked whether we might have company."

"Oh, no," said Tom, good-temperedly; "I only wanted to know."

"Did you? Well, you won't know till dinnertime. Now then, don't stand
staring there, but go and wash that dirty face, and see if you can't
come down with your hands and nails fit to be seen."

"Clean as ever yours are," was on Tom's lips; but he remembered his
cousin's trouble of that morning, pitied him, and felt that he had some
excuse for feeling irritable and strange.

"Well, go on; look sharp," said Sam, manoeuvring so as to get behind his
cousin.

"All right; I'm going," replied Tom, who was suspicious of something
coming after his cousin's promise of revenge; and he wanted to remain
facing any danger that might be threatening. But he felt that he could
not back away, it would look so cowardly, and, daring all, he went
slowly to the pegs to hang up his overcoat.

"Get on, will you," cried Sam; "don't be all night. We don't want to
wait for you."

"Oh, I shan't be long," said Tom quietly; "I'll soon be down."

He was on the mat at the foot of the stairs as he said this, conscious
the while that Sam was close behind; and he was in the act of stepping
up, when he received so savage a kick that he fell forwards on to the
stairs, striking his nose violently, and creating a sensation as if that
member had suddenly been struck off.

"You got it that time, did you?" said Sam, with a satisfied chuckle.
"You generally play the wriggling eel, but I was too quick for you, my
lad."

Sam said no more, for his triumph was only short-lived. He was looking
triumphantly at his cousin as the lad got up heavily, feeling his nose
to find out whether it was there.