 hesitated: for in truth it was
difficult to shape the charge against him, and the effort to be reticent
concerning Nevil, and communicative, now that he had been spoken of, as to the
detested doctor, reduced her to some confusion. She was also fatally anxious to
be in the extreme degree conscientious, and corrected and modified her remarks
most suspiciously.
    »Did he insult you, ma'am?« Mr. Romfrey inquired.
    She replied hastily, »Oh no. He may be a good man in his way. He is one of
those men who do not seem to think a woman may have opinions. He does not
scruple to outrage those we hold. I am afraid he is an infidel. His ideas of
family duties and ties, and his manner of expressing himself, shocked me, that
is all. He is absurd. I dare say there is no harm in him, except for those who
are so unfortunate as to fall under his influence - and that, I feel sure,
cannot be permanent. He could not injure me personally. He could not offend me,
I mean. Indeed, I have nothing whatever to say against him, as far as I ...«
    »Did he fail to treat you as a lady, ma'am?«
    Rosamund was getting frightened by the significant pertinacity of her lord.
    »I am sure, sir, he meant no harm.«
    »Was the man uncivil to you, ma'am?« came the emphatic interrogation.
    She asked herself, had Dr. Shrapnel been uncivil toward her? And so
conscientious was she, that she allowed the question to be debated in her mind
for half a minute, answering then, »No, not uncivil. I cannot exactly explain.
... He certainly did not intend to be uncivil. He is only an unpolished,
vexatious man; enormously tall.«
    Mr. Romfrey ejaculated, »Ha! humph!«
    His view of Dr. Shrapnel was taken from that instant. It was, that this
enormously big blustering agitator against the preservation of birds, had
behaved rudely toward the lady officially the chief of his household, and might
be considered in the light of an adversary one would like to meet. The size of
the man increased his aspect of villany, which in return added largely to his
giant size. Everard Romfrey's mental eye could perceive an attractiveness about
the man little short of magnetic; for he thought of him so much that he had to
think of what was due to his pacifical disposition (deeply believed in by him
