The little boy looked in terror from one to the other. Evidently he dreaded that the immediate result of his obeying Kent would be to precipitate a blow from the bully.
Jasper saw the little boy's quandary, and he quickly advanced to the rescue. Throwing one arm protectingly round Cameron's waist, he regarded Nicholas firmly.
"Well," he said, "what do you propose to do?"
Thorne had had time to think. He hated Jasper worse than ever, but he knew that our hero did not care for blows. Moreover, he was likely to give back better than he received. There was another way of wounding him, which prudence would have led him to hold in reserve. But he was too angry to be prudent. Moreover, he had had a note two days before from his mother, from which he learned that the wedding was to be solemnized on that very day. Probably at that moment his mother was Mrs. Kent.
"I won't fight," he said, with an unpleasant smile, "seeing we're relations."
"Relations!" repeated Jasper, with a look of surprise and inquiry. "I don't know what you mean."
"You'll know soon enough," said Thorne, mockingly.
A suspicion of the truth entered Jasper's mind. He turned pale, and said:
"Will you step aside with me, Thorne, and tell me what you mean!"
"If you like," said Thorne, indifferently.