"He borrowed a box of the ear of the Englishman, and swore he would pay him again when he was able. Merchant of Venice.
One other incident alone in the course of the voyage deserves to be mentioned; both because it served to bring out the characters of several people, and because it was not what is? without its lingering consequences.
Thorn and Rossitur had kept up indefatigably the game of teasing Fleda about her "English admirer," as they sometime styled him. Poor Fleda grew more and more sore on the subject. She thought it was very strange that two grown men could not find enough to do to amuse themselves without making sport of the comfort of a little child. She wondered they could take pleasure in what gave her so much pain; but so it was; and they had it up so often that, at last, others caught it from them, and, though not in malevolence, yet in thoughtless folly, many a light remark was made and question asked of her that set little Fleda's sensitive nerves a-quivering. She was only too happy that they were never said before Mr. Carleton that would have been a thousand times worse. As it was, her gentle nature was constantly suffering from the pain or the fear of these attacks.
"Where's Mr. Carleton?" said her cousin, coming up one day.
"I don't know," said Fleda; "I don't know but he is gone up into one of the tops."
"Your humble servant leaves you to yourself a great while this morning, it seems to me. He is growing very inattentive."
"I wouldn't permit it. Miss Fleda, if I were you," said Thorn, maliciously. "You let him have his own way too much."
"I wish you wouldn't talk so, cousin Charlton!" said Fleda.
"But seriously," said Charlton, "I think you had better call him to account. He is very suspicious lately. I have observed him walking by himself, and looking very glum indeed. I am afraid he has taken some fancy into his head that would not suit you. I advise you to inquire into it."
"I wouldn't give myself any concern about it," said Thorn, lightly, enjoying the child's confusion and his own fanciful style of backbiting; "I'd let him go if he has a mind to, Miss Fleda. He's no such great catch. He's neither lord nor knight nothing in the world but a private gentleman, with plenty of money, I dare say, but you don't care for that; and there's as good fish in the sea as ever came out of it. I don't think much of him."