.

THE CHAMPION.
As vainglorious was Richard Westmacott's retreat from the field of unstricken battle as his advance upon it had been inglorious.

He spoke with confidence now of the narrow escape that Wilding had had at his hands, of the things he would have done to Wilding had not that gentleman grown wise in time.

Sir Rowland, who had seen little of Richard's earlier stricken condition, was in a measure imposed upon by his blustering tone and manner; not so Vallancey, who remembered the steps he had been forced to take to bolster up the young man's courage sufficiently to admit of his being brought to the encounter.

Richard so disgusted him that he felt if he did not quit his company soon, he would be quarrelling with him himself.