"That there monkey—darn it all!" replied Mr. Minnidick, pointing to Boswell with the favourite hoe.
"I will not be interrupted by any monkey!" exclaimed the Duke angrily. "No doubt it has been purposely introduced to balk me of my vengeance. Rodney, it was your business, as my second, to clear the ground."
"I—really I—I must positively decline to clear the—ground of monkeys," said Mr. Rodney, driven to bay at last. "I am ready to—to do anything in—in reason, but I have never been accustomed to handle wild animals, and—no, Duke, I will not begin now at my age—no, not even to oblige you."
And he endeavoured to look dignified and firm.
"Very well, then," cried the Duke. "Then I shall act for myself, since my friend deserts me."
And, with this unmerited accusation, he furiously made towards Boswell with his hoe.
"Oh, Daisy," cried Chloe in the attic—"oh, the Duke is going to kill Boswell—the brute! Oh, it will break Huskinson's heart! What shall I do—oh, what shall I do?"
And she leaned out of the attic window till she nearly fell into the garden of the paragon.
"Chloe, for Heaven's sake, don't! You will be seen. They will see you!"
"I don't care. Let them! There! He's struck at Boswell. He's hit him! Oh, oh! No, Boswell dodged just in time! Now the Duke—oh, he's climbed up a rose-tree!"