He and Ella seemed to be talking very animatedly, and Dunn took the
opportunity to busy himself with some gardening work not far away,
so that he could watch their behaviour.
He told himself it was necessary he should know in what relation
they stood to each other, and as he heard them chatting and
laughing together with great apparent friendliness and enjoyment,
he remembered with considerable satisfaction how he had already
broken one rib of Clive's, and he wished very much for an opportunity
to break another.
For, without knowing why, he was beginning to conceive an intense
dislike for Clive; and, also, it did not seem to him quite good
taste for Ella to sit and chat and laugh with him so readily.
"But we were told," he caught a stray remark of Ella's, "that it
was a gang of at least a dozen that attacked you."
"No," answered Clive reluctantly. "No, I think there was only one.
But he had a grip like a bear."
"He must have been very strong," remarked Ella thoughtfully.
"I would give fifty pounds to meet him again, and have it out in
the light, when one could see what one was doing," declared Clive
with great vigour.
"Oh, you would, would you?" muttered Dunn to himself. "Well, one
of these days I may claim that fifty."
He looked round at Clive as he thought this, and Clive noticed him,
and said:
"Is that a new man you've got there Miss Cayley? Doesn't he rather
want a shave? Where on earth did Mr.
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