He had learnt, alas, to swear in his
old life; but there is a fashion even in oaths, and his were too
rustic in form to pass muster here.
As the bully beaux got deeper in their cups, so did their baiting
of young Tom increase in offensiveness and coarseness. The hot
flush of anger kept rising in the young man's face, and there were
moments when a fight was imminent, which was perhaps what the
aggressors desired. Harry was still in the outer room, or he would
have interposed, for it was not a nice thing to be the butt of a
set of braggarts and bullies, and this fashion of drawing a young
man into their clutches was by no means unusual.
Suddenly, as matters seemed to be getting ripe for some outbreak of
fury on Tom's part, which might well lead to disastrous results, a
sudden clear, resonant voice rose above the hubbub, and dominated
all other tones by a peculiar property impossible to describe.
"Let that lad alone, you cowards!" spoke the voice, in tones of
unmistakable authority. "Get out of this place, you swaggering
bullies! Are we to have no peace even in this inner room, for your
filibustering ways? Go and bluster out yonder, if bluster you must.
Speak a single word of insolence to me--" and here the blue eyes
seemed to flash fire--"and I will have every one of you ducked in
the Thames three times ere you take a step from hence! Now, will
you go quietly?"
It was strange to see the change which came over these young rakes
the moment that the clear, cold tones of Lord Claud's voice fell
upon their ears.
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