At breakfast the next morning Major Kent spoke to Meldon in a gentle, rather hopeless tone.

It was as if he had no great expectation of his words producing any effect.
"I suppose," he said, "that nothing I can say will prevent your thrusting yourself into the company of this judge to-day." "If you refer," said Meldon, "to my intention of calling civilly on Sir Gilbert Hawkesby, nothing you say will alter my view that it is a very proper thing to do, considering that the man is a stranger in the locality." "Then I beg of you, J.J., to be careful.

Don't say anything insulting about Miss King.

Remember that she's his niece, and he won't like to hear her abused.

Besides, he'll tell her what you say afterwards, and it would be very painful to her to hear the sort of accusations you've been bringing against her since she came to Ballymoy." "Major," said Meldon, "we've been intimate friends for years, and you ought to know that, whatever else I may be, I'm always a gentleman.