'
He jumped from his elevated seat on the sideboard, and came swaggering
toward me, with an odious grin, and his arms extended. I started to my
feet, absolutely transported with fury.
'Drat me, if she baint a-going to fight me!' he chuckled humorously.
'Come, Maud, you would not be ill-natured, sure? Arter all, it's only our
duty. Governor bid us kiss, didn't he?'
'Don't--_don't_, sir. Stand back, or I'll call the servants.'
And as it was I began to scream for Milly.
'There's how it is wi' all they cattle! You never knows your own mind--ye
don't,' he said, surlily. 'You make such a row about a bit o' play. Drop
it, will you? There's no one a-harming you--is there? _I_'m not, for
sartain.'
And, with an angry chuckle, he turned on his heel, and left the room.
I think I was perfectly right to resist, with all the vehemence of which I
was capable, this attempt to assume an intimacy which, notwithstanding my
uncle's opinion to the contrary, seemed to me like an outrage.
Milly found me alone--not frightened, but very angry. I had quite made up
my mind to complain to my uncle, but the Curate was still with him; and,
by the time he had gone, I was cooler.
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