Cashel Byron's Profession

Lydia's color rose, too. Her first impulse was to treat this

outburst as rebellion against her authority, and crush it. But her

sense of justice withheld her.

"Would you have had me betray a fugitive who took refuge in my

house, Bashville? YOU did not betray him."

"No," said Bashville, his expression subdued to one of rueful pride.

"When I am beaten by a better man, I have courage enough to get out

of his way and take no mean advantage of him."

Lydia, not understanding, looked inquiringly at him. He made a

gesture as if throwing something from him, and continued recklessly, "But one way I'm as good as he, and better. A footman is held more

respectable than a prize-fighter. He's told you that he's in love

with you; and if it is to be my last word, I'll tell you that the

ribbon round your neck is more to me than your whole body and soul

is to him or his like. When he took an unfair advantage of me, and

pretended to be a gentleman, I told Mr. Lucian of him, and showed

him up for what he was. But when I found him to-day hiding in the

pantry at the Lodge, I took no advantage of him, though I knew well

that if he'd been no more to you than any other man of his sort,

you'd never have hid him. You know best why he gave himself up to

the police after your seeing his day's work. But I will leave him to

his luck. He is the best man: let the best man win. I am sorry,"

added Bashville, recovering his ordinary suave manner with an

effort, "to inconvenience you by a short notice, but I should take

it as a particular favor if I might go this evening."

"You had better," said Lydia, rising quite calmly, and keeping

resolutely away from her the strange emotional result of being

astonished, outraged, and loved at one unlooked-for stroke. "It is

not advisable that you should stay after what you have just--"

"I knew that when I said it," interposed Bashville hastily and

doggedly.

"In going away you will be taking precisely the course that would be

adopted by any gentleman who had spoken to the same effect. I am not

offended by your declaration: I recognize your right to make it. If

you need my testimony to further your future arrangements, I shall

be happy to say that I believe you to be a man of honor."