convenient to Horace. Mr. Milliken is exceedingly lazy, and Howell
spares him a great deal of trouble. Some day or other I shall take
all this domestic trouble off his hands. But not yet: your poor
brother-in-law is restive, like many weak men. He is subjected to other
influences: his odious mother thwarts me a great deal.

K.--Why, you used to be the dearest friends in the world. I recollect
when I was at Eton--

LADY K.--Were; but friendship don't last for ever. Mrs. Bonnington and
I have had serious differences since I came to live here: she has a
natural jealousy, perhaps, at my superintending her son's affairs. When
she ceases to visit at the house, as she very possibly will, things will
go more easily; and Mr. Howell will go too, you may depend upon it. I am
always sorry when my temper breaks out, as it will sometimes.

K.--Won't it, that's all!

LADY K.--At his insolence, my temper is high; so is yours, my dear. Calm
it for the present, especially as regards Howell.

K.--Gad! d'you know I was very nearly pitching into him? But once,
one night in the Haymarket, at a lobster-shop, where I was with some
fellows, we chaffed some other fellows, and there was one fellah--quite
a little fellah--and I pitched into him, and he gave me the most
confounded lickin' I ever had in my life, since my brother Kicklebury
licked me when we were at Eton; and that, you see, was a lesson to me,
ma'am. Never trust those little fellows, never chaff 'em: dammy, they
may be boxers.