"Well, of course not!" said Walden, composedly, though his blood began to tingle hotly through his veins with rising indignation-- "Why should she? Her family papers are all in order, and no doubt she considered your application both ignorant and impertinent."
Leveson's gross countenance flushed a deeper crimson.
"Ignorant and impertinent!" he echoed--"Come, I like that! Why she ought to have considered herself uncommonly lucky to receive so much as a civil letter from a respectable man,--such a woman as she is!-- 'Maryllia Van'--he-he-he-he!"
Walden took a quick step towards him.
"What do you mean?" he demanded--"What right have you to speak of her in such a manner?"
Leveson recoiled, startled by the intense pallor of Walden's face, and the threatening light in his eyes.
"What right?" he stammered--"Why--why what do yon mean by flaring up in such a temper, eh? What does it matter to you?"
"It matters this much,--that I will not allow Miss Vaneourt to be insulted by you or anyone else!" retorted Walden, hotly--"You have never spoken to her,--you know nothing about her,--so hold your tongue!"
The Reverend 'Putty's' round eyes protruded with amazement.
"Hold--my--tongue!" he repeated, in a kind of stupefaction--"Are you gone mad, Walden? Do you know who you are talking to?"
John gave a short laugh. His hands clenched involuntarily.
"Oh, I know well enough!" he said--"I am talking to a man who has no more regard for a woman's name than a cat has for the mouse it kills! I am talking to a man who is an ordained Christian minister, who has less Christianity than a dog, which at least is faithful to its master!"
Leveson uttered a kind of inarticulate sound something between a gasp and a grunt. Then he fell back on his old snigger.
"He-he, he-he-he!" he bleated--"You must be crazy, Walden!--or else you've been drinking! I've a perfect right to speak of the Abbot's Manor woman IF I like and as I like! All men have a right to do the same--she's been pretty well handed round as common property for a long time! Why, she's perfectly notorious!--everybody knows that!"
"You lie!"
And Walden sprang at him, one powerful clenched fist uplifted. Leveson staggered back in terror,--and so for a moment they stood, staring upon one another. They did not hear a stealthy rustle among the branches of the chestnut-tree near which they stood, nor see a long lithe shadow creep towards them for the dense low-hanging foliage. Face to face, eye to eye, they remained for a moment's space as though ready to close and wrestle,--then suddenly Walden's arm dropped to his side.