The same afternoon Hall encountered Ellen as she was passing through
the apartment. He followed and begged her to grant him but a few moment's
conversation. She stopped and looking at him with an expression which said
as plain as words might speak it, it is more in sorrow than in anger that I
avoid you.

“Will Miss Evylin deign,” he said, “to inform so humble an individual as
myself, how he has fallen not only under her displeasure, but also that of the
family?”

She replied, “Mr. Hall, you have so grossly misinterpreted what I have
already said and done, that it is hazardous to hold any communication with
you.”

“I have misinterpreted what you have said! never! I have never for one
moment of my life harbored any but the kindest and gentlest thoughts towards
Miss Evylin, much less spoken disrespectfully of her.”

“Then you have been shamefully slandered.”

“I thought as much, and it was therefore that I sought this opportunity for
an explanation. Will Miss Evylin be so good as to inform me what I was
reported to have said of her? I need not ask by whom.”

[figure description] Page 092.[end figure description]

“You are reported, sir, to have boasted that so far from your having sought
my favor, that I had sought yours.”

“Miss Evylin, this is one of those ingenious falsehoods, which none but a
perverse head or a false heart could have coined out of what I did say.”

“Then you acknowledge that there was some foundation for it.”

“As stated by you, it is wholly false in coloring, and nearly so in fact; but
the world is governed by such falsehoods as these; what is called public
opinion, is made up of these many little streams combined into one great torrent—
why should I endeavor to arrest the mighty current with my puny arm?”

“You can at all events set yourself right in my esteem, by a plain statement
of facts—do you consider it worthy of the effort?”

“Hereafter I can only hope to enjoy the good opinion of the choice few,
among whom I would gladly rank Miss Evylin, I will state how the offence
was given, if offence it be. Mr. Lee undertook to take me to task for pushing
myself, a poor Tutor, forward into society, where my presence was not
wanted. He went so far as to intimate that I presumed in sitting at the table
with the rest of the family, and when I told him I had done so at the express
command of his Excellency, be then changed his ground and claimed to catechise
me with regard to my attentions to you. I challenged his right to do so,
and he then stated that he was an avowed suitor, with your father's approbation.
Under these circumstances I thought myself justified in stating the
fact, that the first interview was sought by you. I stated neither more nor less,
without coloring of any sort, and simply to justify myself from his charge of
presumption. This is the whole of my offence.”

She offered him her hand, as she said, “Mr. Hall, forgive me, but I am not
to blame. I was led astray; I trusted too implicitly to his honor, for though
he did not, it seems, tell what the world calls a falsehood, it answered all the
purposes of one, and was so ingeniously designed as to mislead me and baffle
detection.”

“Aye, his conduct in this affair was not unlike another in which you were
concerned, Miss Evylin; I should have thought that would teach you to
guard your too confiding nature against him; but enough for the present, if I
am wholly reinstated in your good opinion, I am satisfied.”

“You are, and I take shame to myself that even this explanation was
necessary.”

“Having then judged hastily this time, promise that in future, when circumstances
appear to be against me, you will hear my vindication before you
decide.”

“Most assuredly I will.”

“I ask it, Miss Evylin, because I foresee that I may soon be placed in a
position from which it may seem impossible to extricate myself. I will not
deny to you, that I am surrounded by difficulties, the causes of some of which
you know more than any other person. I make it, then, my last solemn
request to you, to hear before you judge. Good day.”

He had seen Lee passing in front of the verandah, and followed him down
the garden, where he soon overtook and addressed him, thus: “You came to
me this morning, sir, professing yourself under the painful necessity of communicating
something disagreeable, I now address you under precisely similar
circumstances.”

“I am ready with all patience, sir, to hear you.”

“Few words will suffice to convey my meaning, and therefore your patience
will not be heavily taxed. You prevaricated, sir, in relating our conversation
to Miss Evylin.”

“Prevaricated, sir, and this to me!”

“Aye, prevaricated is the word, sir.”

“Very well, sir! very well! you shall hear from me shortly.” And with

[figure description] Page 093.[end figure description]

this he strode off, but presently returned, and said, “Hark you, Sir Tutor,
you must establish your claims to be treated as a gentleman, and that
right speedily, or I will not only chastise you in a way you will not fancy,
but I will take such steps as to guard the community from your becoming
heir to any more stray legacies.”

Hall's lips curled in disdain as he replied, “choose, your own manner and
time of redress for the insult which now adheres to you. I shall be ready to
repel in whatever way you advance.” Lee was again retreating, as Hall
continued, “And hark you, in your turn, Sir, beware how you report any more
of our conversations. I will not trust your memory.” This was said in a
bitter sarcastic tone. Lee strode rapidly up to him in a threatening attitude,
with his hand upon his sword, his face but a few inches from that of his adversary,
and replied, “Do you mean to provoke me to forget that we are the only
grown white males upon the place, and that the ladies are under our, or rather
my protection?”

“You should under such circumstances remember the truth, it is peculiarly
incumbent on you to do so.”

Lee drew his rapier and flashed it in the face of the Tutor, as he exclaimed,
“by heavens another such taunt and I will let out your base churl's blood here
upon the walk, in spite of all the restraints upon me. Human nature can
stand no more.”

Hall wore no sword, but he carried a small rattan in his hand, which he
elevated, touching the point almost in his adversary's face, as one who puts
himself in the attitude to guard, exclaiming, “Come on, sir, I am more than
a match for you, even thus.”

Lee scorned his scientific posture and rushed upon him as if he would despatch
him at single lunge, but the next moment found his sword twirling in the
air, and Hall leaning upon his cane laughing at the foaming and now fruitless
anger of his adversary. A few yards distant, among the shrubbery, he
saw little Bob's face peeping out in the same mirthful delight, but truth to
say, it was blanched white with fear, and the color had not yet returned.

Lee clutched his sword and hurried from the garden, swearing vengeance
against the impostor. He rushed to the house, and after a hasty word or two
with Lady Spotswood, ordered his horses and rode post haste to the capital.
Not, however, before he had scratched a few words on a slip of paper, and sent
them to the young man in the garden. They read as follows: “The first
moment, Sir, after you have established your pretended claims to gentle birth
and breeding, you shall hear from me. A reasonable time elapsing and this
not done, I will chastise you at sight.”

Hall's countenance loured as he read this note, and then tore it into fragments
and gave them to the wind, but instantly relapsed into the merry mood
as Bob ran at him with a stick, exactly imitating Lee's murderous thrust.
“He did not see you twist the foil out of Mr. Moore's hand that night, or he
would not have ventured his sword even against your rattan,” said the boy.

“No, Bob, I am glad he did not, and then we should have met differently,
which I assure you I am rejoiced to avoid, more than you can imagine.”

“Well, now I must run and tell Nat and Dorothea, they will laugh till their
sides ache; let me see how it was, thus you twitched him that double demisimiquaver.
I would give my pony if I could just catch that trick.”

“All in good time, Robert, but come here; you must not mention this unless
Mr. Lee communicates it first; now remember, you will injure instead of
befriend me, if you do.”

“Well, to be sure, it's a great privation not to be allowed to tell of this.
But you will not object if I make them promise not to tell.”

“Yes, Bob, I do object; I have particular reasons for keeping it quiet for
the present, and I am sure you would do nothing to injure me willingly.”

[figure description] Page 094.[end figure description]

“No, no,” answered the boy, “I would not injure you for any thing, and if
telling it would do so, I will keep it though I burst in trying.”

Still he kept on playing with his stick, every now and then bursting into a
loud laugh, as the Tutor would humor him by twitching it out of his hand.