He felt his shoulder-muscles rise and brace themselves at the thought,
all the strength and violence of his young manhood, with its firm sinews
and supple joints, told him that it was his willing and active servant
and would do his pleasure. He wanted to smash the jaw bone that had
formed these lies, and he wanted the world to know he had done so. Yet
that was not enough, he wanted to throttle the throat from which the
words had come; the man ought to be killed; it was right to kill him just
as it was right to kill a poisonous snake that somehow disguised itself
as a man, and was received into the houses of men.

Indeed, should Morris be told, as he felt sure he would be, who his
slanderer and defamer was, that gentleman would be wise to keep out of
his way with him in such a mood. There was danger and death abroad on
this calm hot summer afternoon.




CHAPTER V


It was about four o'clock on the afternoon of the following day, and Mr.
Taynton was prolonging his hour of quietude after lunch, and encroaching
thereby into the time he daily dedicated to exercise. It was but seldom
that he broke into the routine of habits so long formed, and indeed the
most violent rain or snow of winter, the most cutting easterly blasts of
March, never, unless he had some definite bodily ailment, kept him
indoors or deprived him of his brisk health-giving trudge over the downs
or along the sea front. But occasionally when the weather was unusually