"Yes; what am I to do about her? How am I to manage with her? There's Lupex off again in one of his fits of jealousy."
"But it's not your fault, I suppose?"
"Well; I can't just say. I am fond of her, and that's the long and the short of it; deuced fond of her."
"But, my dear Caudle, you know she's that man's wife."
"Oh, yes, I know all about it. I'm not going to defend myself. It's wrong, I know,—pleasant, but wrong. But what's a fellow to do? I suppose in strict morality I ought to leave the lodgings. But, by George, I don't see why a man's to be turned out in that way. And then I couldn't make a clean score with old mother Roper. But I say, old fellow, who gave you the gold chain?"
"Well; it was an old family friend at Guestwick; or rather, I should say, a man who said he knew my father."
"And he gave you that because he knew your governor! Is there a watch to it?"
"Yes, there's a watch. It wasn't exactly that. There was some trouble about a bull. To tell the truth, it was Lord De Guest; the queerest fellow, Caudle, you ever met in your life; but such a trump. I've got to go and dine with him at Christmas." And then the old story of the bull was told.
"I wish I could find a lord in a field with a bull," said Cradell. We may, however, be permitted to doubt whether Mr. Cradell would have earned a watch even if he had had his wish.
"You see," continued Cradell, reverting to the subject on which he most delighted to talk, "I'm not responsible for that man's ill-conduct."