CHAPTER VI
THE CHAMPION


As vainglorious was Richard Westmacott's retreat from the field of
unstricken battle as his advance upon it had been inglorious. He
spoke with confidence now of the narrow escape that Wilding had had
at his hands, of the things he would have done to Wilding had not that
gentleman grown wise in time. Sir Rowland, who had seen little of
Richard's earlier stricken condition, was in a measure imposed upon
by his blustering tone and manner; not so Vallancey, who remembered
the steps he had been forced to take to bolster up the young man's
courage sufficiently to admit of his being brought to the encounter.
Richard so disgusted him that he felt if he did not quit his company
soon, he would be quarrelling with him himself. So, congratulating
him, in a caustic manner that Richard did not relish, upon the happy
termination of the affair, Vallancey took his leave of him and Blake
at the cross-roads, pleading business with Lord Gervase, and left them
to proceed without him to Bridgwater.

Blake, whose suspicions of some secret matter to which Vallancey and
Richard were wedded, had been earlier excited by Westmacott's
indiscretions, was full of sly questions now touching the business
which might be taking Vallancey to Scoresby. But Richard was too full
of the subject of the fear he had instilled into Wilding to afford his
companion much satisfaction on any other score. Thus they came to
Lupton House, and as Richard swaggered down the lawn into the presence
of the ladies - Ruth and her aunt were occupying the stone bench, Diana