Not a glance or motion did she vouchsafe to Vane or to Mires, for she, with swelling bosom, seemed to feel that the insult directed at Harry Vivian was levelled at her also, and she resented it accordingly. Of course this was not so construed by either of the suitors, nor did they seem to read her interpretation of their conduct in her bearing towards themselves; they only saw in it a confirmation of their fears, that she had by far too strong a predilection for the youth whose society they had somewhat unexpectedly been called upon to enjoy.
She was gone, and Hal was left alone with the pair. Colonel Mires cast a hurried glance at him; there was no sign of the last night’s encounter upon his person, or in his manner; he doubted, therefore, if he could have been the man he had seen and fired at, but, if not, who could it have been? That was a question to be settled hereafter.
He caught Hal’s bright eye fixed upon him, and he tried with, gloomy, knitted brows, to frown it down, but, as it never wavered in its settled gaze, he deliberately turned his back upon him, and with a formal salute to Lester Vane he strode out of the room.
The latter was thus left alone with Harry Vivian. He looked steadfastly and scrutinisingly at him from head to foot; he could not deny to himself that Hal was eminently handsome, and that he was dressed fashionably—nay, elegantly, and with unexceptionable taste. But he was a parvenu!—a creature in trade, only just out of his apprenticeship. What a rival! Vane’s lip curled as the thought passed through his mind; he even laughed, and aloud.
It was a mocking laugh, and grated on Hal’s ear most harshly. His impetuous blood surged boilingly through his veins, and he trembled in his effort to appear collected and calm. But such an outward aspect he felt in his present position to be imperative to preserve, and by a strong effort he kept his inward indignation from revealing itself.
After his sneering laugh, Vane, with a direct and insolent stare, again scanned Vivian from top to toe. As he smiled, he twirled the points of his moustache between his fingers and thumb, and then turning his back deliberately upon Harry Vivian, walked up to a pier-glass, and arranged his collar. Harry saw now that he was the object of deliberate and studied insult, but he felt that it would not be advisable to create a scene in Mr. Wilton’s house by any impetuous or violent conduct. For the behaviour of Colonel Mires towards him he could make allowance, but this man had no such excuse. In vindication of his position as a young honourable man, he resolved not to submit to the indignity, or to suffer Vane to part from him in the belief that he would endure contumelious rudeness without resenting it. .
He advanced towards him, and said, in a low, but clear, firm voice—
“Mr. Vane!”
Lester Vane turned slowly round and stared at him. A most rude, offensive stare it was; as though his groom had suddenly addressed him on easy and familiar terms.
It failed to add anything to the resentment which Hal felt at the treatment he had already experienced, because it could not exceed in offence the previous contumely directed at him. But he proceeded to say, with the air of one who would be neither put down nor put aside—