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A truce was sounded, jackets were caught up, guns shouldered, and off they trotted in concert through the depths of the wood, not stopping till that and half-a-dozen fields and a larch plantation were well behind them. When they halted to take breath, there was a mutual study of faces. Ripton's was much discoloured, and looked fiercer with its natural war- paint than the boy felt.
This angry contradiction, so very uncalled for, annoyed Richard, who was still smarting at the loss of the birds, owing to Ripton's bad shot, and was really the injured party. He, therefore bestowed the abusive epithet on Ripton anew, and with increase of emphasis. "You shan't call me so, then, whether I am or not," says Ripton, and sucks his lips. This was becoming personal.
Thompson read the paper by the fire, preparatory to sleeping at his accustomed post, and Mama Thompson and her submissive female brood sat tasking the swift intricacies of the needle, and emulating them with the tongue, Miss Letty stole behind Ripton's chair, and introduced between him and his book the Latin initial letter, large and illuminated, of the theme she supposed to be absorbing him, as it did herself.
Ripton's lieutenancy became a sinecure, his rank merely titular. He had never been married he knew nothing about licences, except that they must be obtained, and were not difficult he had not an idea that so many days' warning must be given to the clergyman of the parish where one of the parties was resident. How should he?
They were fine men, offering inanimate homage. The trim of their whiskerage, the cut of their coats, the high-bred indolence in their aspect, eclipsed Ripton's sense of self-esteem. But they kindly looked over him.
He tumbled to the sofa and there stretched. Some minutes subsequent to Ripton's signalization of his devotion to the bridal pair, Mrs. Berry's maid entered the room to say that a gentleman was inquiring below after the young gentleman who had departed, and found her mistress with a tottering wineglass in her hand, exhibiting every symptom of unconsoled hysterics.
From the Gardens, in contempt of Ripton's frowned protest, Richard boldly struck into the park, where solitary carriages were beginning to perform the circuit. Here Ripton had some justification for his jealous pangs.
He now started to his feet, and came tearing through the briar hedge, calling out for one of them to direct them the nearest road to Bursley. The tinker was kindling preparations for his tea, under the tawny umbrella. A loaf was set forth, oh which Ripton's eyes, stuck in the edge, fastened ravenously.
Ripton's response to this was: You put a Griffin on that cake. Wheatsheaves each side." "His crest?" Mrs. Berry said sweetly. "Oldest baronetcy 'n England!" waved Ripton. "Yes?" Mrs. Berry encouraged him on. "You think he's Richards. We're oblige' be very close. And she's the most lovely! If I hear man say thing 'gainst her." "You needn't for to cry over her, young man," said Mrs. Berry.
"Shall we fight here?" he said. "Anywhere you like," replied Ripton. "A little more into the wood, I think. We may be interrupted." And Richard led the way with a courteous reserve that somewhat chilled Ripton's ardour for the contest. On the skirts of the wood, Richard threw off his jacket and waistcoat, and, quite collected, waited for Ripton to do the same.
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