He had regained his feet, and was slinking up to the gate as we met
him, and passionately exclaimed: "Miss Alison, you have seen this;
I shall call on you as my witness."
Dora called out something so vituperative that my energies went in
silencing her, nor do I think I answered Bullock, though at least it
was a relief to see that, having a great sou'-wester over all his
other clothes, the force of the blows had been so broken that he
could not have any really serious injury to complain of. It was not
unfortunate, however, that he was so shaken and battered that he went
first to exhibit himself to Dr. Kingston's new partner, and obtain a
formidable scientific account of his sprains and bruises; so that
Eustace had heard an account of the affray in the first place, and
Dora, with a child's innate satisfaction in repeating personalities,
had not spared the epithets with which Bullock had mentioned the
"fool of a squire." The said squire, touched to the quick, went out
invulnerable to his interview, declaring that the agent had been
rightly served, only wishing he had had more, and indignantly
refusing Bullock's offer to abstain from prosecuting Mr. Harold
Alison on receiving a handsome compensation, and a promise never to
be interfered with again. Eustace replied--too much, I fear, in his
own coin--with orders to send in his accounts immediately and to
consider himself dismissed from his agency from that hour; and then
came back to us like a conquering hero, exulting in his own
magnanimous firmness, which "had shown he was not to be trifled
with.
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