Cashel Byron's Profession

Lydia was so disconcerted by this attack that she had to pause

awhile before replying. Then she said, "Are you aware, Mrs. Skene,

that my knowledge of Mr. Byron is very slight--that I have not seen

him ten times in my life? Perhaps you do not know the circumstances

in which I last saw him. I was greatly shocked by the injuries he

had inflicted on another man; and I believe I spoke of them as the

work of a wild beast. For your sake, I am sorry I said so; for he

has told me that he regards you as his mother; and--"

"Oh, no! Far from it, miss. I ask your pardon a thousand times for

taking the word out of your mouth; but me and Ned is no more to him

than your housekeeper or governess might be to you. That's what I'm

afraid you don't understand, miss. He's no relation of ours. I do

assure you that he's a gentleman born and bred; and when we go back

to Melbourne next Christmas, it will be just the same as if he had

never known us."

"I hope he will not be so ungrateful as to forget you. He has told

me his history."

"That's more than he ever told me, miss; so you may judge how much

he thinks of you."

A pause followed this. Mrs. Skene felt that the first exchange was

over, and that she had got the better in it.

"Mrs. Skene," said Lydia then, penetratingly; "when you came to pay

me this visit, what object did you propose to yourself? What do you

expect me to do?"

"Well, ma'am," said Mrs. Skene, troubled, "the poor lad has had

crosses lately. There was the disappointment about you--the first

one, I mean--that had been preying on his mind for a long time. Then

there was that exhibition spar at the Agricultural Hall, when

Paradise acted so dishonorable. Cashel heard that you were looking

on; and then he read the shameful way the newspapers wrote of him;

and he thought you'd believe it all. I couldn't get that thought out

of his head. I said to him, over and over again--"

"Excuse me," said Lydia, interrupting. "We had better be frank with

one another. It is useless to assume that he mistook my feeling on

that subject. I WAS shocked by the severity with which he treated

his opponent."

"But bless you, that's his business," said Mrs. Skone, opening her

eyes widely. "I put it to you, miss," she continued, as if mildly

reprobating some want of principle on Lydia's part, "whether an

honest man shouldn't fulfil his engagements. I assure you that the

pay a respectable professional usually gets for a spar like that is

half a guinea; and that was all Paradise got. But Cashel stood on

his reputation, and wouldn't take less than ten guineas; and he got

it, too. Now many another in his position would have gone into the

ring and fooled away the time pretending to box, and just swindling

those that paid him. But Cashel is as honest and high-minded as a

king. You saw for yourself the trouble he took. He couldn't have

spared himself less if he had been fighting for a thousand a side

and the belt, instead of for a paltry ten guineas. Surely you don't

think the worse of him for his honesty, miss?"