“Well! was he insolent to her too?” asked Bradley after a struggle. “Or did he make a show of being kind to her?”

“He made a show of being most uncommon kind to her,” said Riderhood. “By George! now I⁠—”

His flying off at a tangent was indisputably natural. Bradley looked at him for the reason.

“Now I think of it,” said Mr. Riderhood, evasively, for he was substituting those words for “Now I see you so jealous,” which was the phrase really in his mind; “P’r’aps he went and took me down wrong, a purpose, on account o’ being sweet upon her!”