The Colonel could not stand this. He was so closely implicated with Mrs. Trevelyan at the present moment that he could not omit to notice an address so made to him. "What the devil is that to you, sir?" said he, jumping up and confronting Bozzle in his wrath.
But policemen have always this advantage in their difficulties, that they know to a fraction what the wrath of men is worth, and what it can do. Sometimes it can dismiss a policeman, and sometimes break his head. Sometimes it can give him a long and troublesome job, and sometimes it may be wrath to the death. But in nineteen out of twenty cases it is not a fearful thing, and the policeman knows well when he need not fear it. On the present occasion Bozzle was not at all afraid of Colonel Osborne's wrath.
"Well, sir, not much, indeed, if you come to that. Only you was there, sir."
"Of course I was there," said the Colonel.
"And a very nice young gentleman is Mr. Stanbury," said Bozzle.
To this Colonel Osborne made no reply, but again had resort to his newspaper in the most formal manner.
"He's going down to his family, no doubt," continued Bozzle.
"He may be going to the devil for what I know," said the Colonel, who could not restrain himself.
"I suppose they're all friends of Mrs. T.'s?" asked Bozzle.
"Sir," said the Colonel, "I believe that you're a spy."