“You have begun very early in life, young gentleman, to take a decided part against me and my family, and you are not to wonder, if henceforward and for ever I shall be found to act with reciprocal hostility towards you and your’s.
“You have arraigned my character in the matter of the horse, and the oldest and firmest friends of my house have been spirited away by your grandfather to desert me, and attach themselves to him—Do you flatter yourself I can forget this? Are you weak enough to suppose I will forgive it?
“By the right I have over the cattle in my keeping I turned that horse out of my stables, and I am free to own it was no recommendation to me, that you assumed to have a claim to him, which claim you neglected, or was ashamed, to make.
“As for the ring, which your attorney was instructed to demand, my mother, who is not obliged, nor expected to recognise what she never saw, has nothing to do with the charge: she has nevertheless given it up to your said attorney, and your aunt is at liberty to wear it; my consolation is, she can wear no ring of my uncle’s giving but as a legatee.
“As I am not a native of your island, I am leaving it without regret. Don’t persuade yourself however that I shall forget what has passed, or forfeit any opportunity of avenging my injured honour.
David ap Owen.”
CHAPTER II.
The Mother of our Hero dies.
De Lancaster having read the letter, inserted in our preceding chapter, and for a few moments pondered on the contents of it, was about to put it into his pocket, when his grandson eagerly requested that he would allow him to keep possession of it—Of what use can it be to you?, said the old gentleman.
It will remind me, John replied, that I owe the writer of it an answer.