CHAPTER XI.
Mr.Juxon was relieved to hear that John Short had suddenly gone back to Cambridge.

He had indeed meant to like him from the first and had behaved towards him with kindness and hospitality; but while ready to admire his good qualities and to take a proper amount of interest in his approaching contest for honours, he had found him a troublesome person to deal with and, in his own words, a nuisance.

Matters had come to a climax after the tea at the cottage, when the squire had so completely vanquished him, but since that evening the two had not met.
The opposition which John brought to bear against Mr.Juxon was not, however, without its effect.

The squire was in that state of mind in which a little additional pressure sufficed to sway his resolutions.
It has been seen that he had for some time regarded Mrs.Goddard's society as an indispensable element in his daily life; he had been so much astonished at discovering this that he had absented himself for several days and had finally returned ready to submit to his fate, in so far as his fate required that he should see Mrs.Goddard every day.
Shortly afterwards John had appeared and by his persistent attempts to monopolise Mrs.Goddard's conversation had again caused an interruption in the squire's habits, which the latter had resented with characteristic firmness.

The very fact of having resisted John had strengthened and given a new tone to Mr.Juxon's feelings towards his tenant.