"I assure you, my dear Sir James," he said, "that it's a damned annoying
thing to me to have to act so unhandsomely. Stap me! I shouldn't like it
myself, but law's law and duty's duty, and so on, you know the old tale,
and I'm obleeged to do it."

He opened his snuff-box and offered it to Sir James, who brusquely waved
it aside, saying, "Your explanation, if you please, my lord!"

"Damme, don't be peevish! Smoke the Venus in the lid? Isn't she a
sparkler? Wish I'd lived in the times when ladies lay about on seashores
like it! I hate these damned crinolines. Saw Somerset in 'em in the
Pantiles. Could have pushed her over and trundled her like a barrel."

"My lord," reiterated Blount, "I await your explanation."

"Boot's on the other leg," he chirped. "A'nt I pouched you all cleverly,
stap me, seeing the ink on my commission's hardly dry? Didn't think it was
in me!"

"I will take the authority of your commission as sufficient, my lord, the
times being what they are. But will you be good enough to tell me why you
come?"

"Gadso! Certainly! There's a dirty rascal in pewter buttons behind there
--come here, sir, and let Sir James see your ugly face!--who says you're a
disloyal person, a traitor, and so forth. I don't believe him. I wouldn't
crack a flea on his unsupported testimony, but he's in the know of things,
and showed me a commission from Mr. Secretary, calling on His Majesty's
liege subjects, etc., you know the run of it, and I was bound to look into
it. Charges are charges, stap me if they a'nt. Don't come too near, pig's