I know Henry too
well to believe that he would strike you, unless there had been
strong provocation."
"Perhaps he regarded it as such; I did not," said Dewey.
"If he is satisfied with his chastisement, there is no occasion to
press him farther, Judge." Wallingford was provoked to this by the
young man's cool impertinence.
Dewey made a movement as if about to rush upon Wallingford, but the
Judge interposed his body to keep them apart. The appearance of a
fourth party at this juncture, in the person of Squire Floyd, the
prospective father-in-law of one of the belligerents, changed
materially the aspect of affairs.
"Good-morning, Squire," said Wallingford, with a quickly assumed
cheerfulness of manner, smiling in his usual grave way.
Both the Judge and his nephew saw reason to imitate the example of
Wallingford, and thus throw up a blind before the eyes of Squire
Floyd, who thought he perceived something wrong as he came in, but
was afterwards inclined to doubt the evidence of his senses.
Wallingford retired in a few moments. When he came back to the
office an hour afterwards, he found a note of apology on his table,
accompanied by a request that so unpleasant an incident as the one
which had just occurred, might be suffered to pass into oblivion.
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