"
"Excuse me."
"What did I recommend? Prudence, calmness and moderation,
persuasive gentleness, sentiments of the loftiest nature,
tenderness, a shower of tears----"
"Possibly, but----"
"But instead of that, you fall upon this woman like a thunderbolt,
and set the whole household in the wildest commotion. What could
you be thinking of, to make such an absurd and frightful scene?
For you howled and shrieked like a street hawker, and we could
hear you in the drawing-room. If all is not irretrievably lost,
there must be a special Providence for the benefit of fools!"
In his dismay, Wilkie endeavored to falter some excuses, but he
was only able to begin a few sentences which died away,
uncompleted in his throat. The violence shown by M. de Coralth,
who was usually as cold and as polished as marble, quieted his own
wrath. Still toward the last he felt disposed to rebel against
the insults that were being heaped upon him. "Do you know,
viscount, that I begin to think this very strange," he exclaimed.
"If any one else had led me into such a scrape, I should have
called him to account in double-quick time."
M. de Coralth shrugged his shoulders with an air of contempt, and
threateningly replied: "Understand, once for all, that you had
better not attempt to bully me! Now, tell me what passed between
your mother and yourself?"
"First I should like----"
"Dash it all! Do you suppose that I intend to remain here all
night? Tell me what occurred, and be quick about it.
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