irritatedwithhunger,andirritatedatseeinghimthere,andirritatedatthecontinuedroughnessofhismanner.
“Itisover-eatingthatmakesyousoill-tempered,”saidhe.
“Howdoyouknow?”Idemanded.“ItislikeyoutogiveapragmaticalopinionwithoutbeingacquaintedwithanyofthecircumstancesofthecaseIhavehadnodinner.”
WhatIsaidwaspetulantandsnappishenough,andHunsdenonlyrepliedbylookinginmyfaceandlaughing.
“Poorthing!”hewhined,afterapause.“Ithashadnodinner,hasit?What!Isupposeitsmasterwouldnotletitcomehome.DidCrimsworthorderyoutofastbywayofpunishment,William!”
“No,Mr.Hunsden.”Fortunatelyatthissulkyjuncture,tea,wasbroughtin,andIfelltouponsomebreadandbutterandcoldbeefdirectly.Havingclearedaplateful,IbecamesofarhumanizedastointimatetoMr.Hunsdenthatheneednotsittherestaring,butmightcometothetableanddoasIdid,ifheliked.
“ButIdon’tlikeintheleast,”saidhe,andtherewithhesummonedtheservantbyafreshpullofthebell-rope,andintimatedadesiretohaveaglassoftoast-and-water.“Andsomemorecoal,”headded“Mr.CrimsworthshallkeepagoodfirewhileIstay.”
Hisordersbeingexecuted,hewheeledhischairroundtothetable,soastobeoppositeme.
“Well,”heproceeded.“Youareoutofwork,Isuppose.”
“Yes,”saidIandnotdisposedtoshowthesatisfactionIfeltonthispoint,I,yieldingtothewhimofthemoment,tookupthesubjectasthoughIconsideredmyselfaggrievedratherthanbenefitedbywhathadbeendone.“Yes—thankstoyou,Iam.Crimsworthturnedmeoffataminute’snotice,owingtosomeinterferenceofyoursatapublicmeeting,Iunderstand.”
“Ah!what!hementionedthat?Heobservedmesignallingthelads,didhe?WhathadhetosayabouthisfriendHunsden—anythingsweet?”
“Hecalledyouatreacherousvillain.”
“Oh,hehardlyknowsmeyet!I’moneofthoseshypeoplewhodon’tcomeoutallatonce,andheisonlyjustbeginningtomakemyacquaintance,buthe’llfindI’vesomegoodqualities—excellentones!TheHunsdenswerealwaysunrivalledattrackingarascaladownright,dishonourablevillainistheirnaturalprey—theycouldnotkeepoffhimwherevertheymethimyouusedthewordpragmaticaljustnow—thatwordisthepropertyofourfami