nsey, turning his head on one side, and trying to speak
in a small mincing treble. "And there's sweet Miss Nancy coming; and
we shall dance with her, and promise never to be naughty again, and be
taken into favour, and--"

"Hold your tongue about Miss Nancy, you fool," said Godfrey, turning
red, "else I'll throttle you."

"What for?" said Dunsey, still in an artificial tone, but taking a
whip from the table and beating the butt-end of it on his palm. "You've
a very good chance. I'd advise you to creep up her sleeve again: it
'ud be saving time, if Molly should happen to take a drop too much
laudanum some day, and make a widower of you. Miss Nancy wouldn't mind
being a second, if she didn't know it. And you've got a good-natured
brother, who'll keep your secret well, because you'll be so very
obliging to him."

"I'll tell you what it is," said Godfrey, quivering, and pale again,
"my patience is pretty near at an end. If you'd a little more
sharpness in you, you might know that you may urge a man a bit too far,
and make one leap as easy as another. I don't know but what it is so
now: I may as well tell the Squire everything myself--I should get you
off my back, if I got nothing else. And, after all, he'll know some
time. She's been threatening to come herself and tell him. So, don't
flatter yourself that your secrecy's worth any price you choose to ask.
You drain me of money till I have got nothing to pacify _her_ with, and
she'll do as she threatens some day. It's all one. I'll tell my
father everything myself, and you may go to the devil."

Dunsey perceived that he had overshot his mark, and that there was a
point at which even the hesitating Godfrey might be driven into
decision. But he said, with an air of unconcern--

"As you please; but I'll have a draught of ale first." And ringing the
bell, he threw himself across two chairs, and began to rap the
window-seat with the handle of his whip.

Godfrey stood, still with his back to the fire, uneasily moving his
fingers among the contents of his side-pockets, and looking at the
floor. That big muscular frame of his held plenty of animal courage,
but helped him to no decision when the dangers to be braved were such
as could neither be knocked down nor throttled. His natural
irresolution and moral cowardice were exaggerated by a position in
which dreaded consequences seemed to press equally on all sides, and
his irritation had no sooner provoked him t