Those big men are sometimes physical cowards.
Another pane smashed! the weapon used being a hard piece of flint coal, which just escaped short of Mr.Peckaby's head, and Lionel thought it time to interfere.

He pushed into the midst of them.
They drew aside when they saw who it was.

In their hot passions--hot and angry then--perhaps no one, friend or enemy, would have stood a chance of being deferred to but Lionel Verner.

They had so long looked upon him as the future lord of Verner's Pride that they forgot to look upon him as anything less now.

And they all liked Lionel.