"My dear sir," said he, "you have a pretty talent for scolding. Nature evidently intended you to be an old woman; but doesn't it strike you that this sort of thing isn't customary among gentlemen, and that you are making an infernal fool of yourself? Do you suppose I'm to ask your permission where to go in this castle? I found this passage-way myself, and hope to find others also. And, by Jove!" he continued, as at this moment the thought of the lost parcel came to him, "there's one matter I should like to settle with you before we go any farther."
"We shall have to settle several matters."
"I left a parcel in this place a short time ago. It was a very valuable one. I should like to ask you if you have it?"
"I? I, sir? I have your parcel?"
"I don't mean to say that you took it knowing it to be mine."
"Oh! you don't, don't you?"
"Mr. Ashby, will you give me a frank answer to a fair question? Do you know anything about that parcel?"
"Parcel? Pooh!" said Ashby, who thought that this was some transparent trick of Harry's to account for his presence here. "Confound you and your parcels! I know nothing about them. I—"
"I ask you, did you pick up that parcel?"
"And I say, confound your parcels!"