One or two there
present, who had perhaps peculiarly royal instincts, had crept up
towards him so as to make him the centre of a little knot, but,
otherwise, conversation went on much as it had done before the
unfortunate arrival of Phineas. That quarrel, however, had been very
distinctly trodden under foot by the Prince, for Mr. Bonteen had
found himself quite incapacitated from throwing back any missile in
reply to the last that had been hurled at him.
Phineas took a vacant seat next to Mr. Monk,--who was deficient
perhaps in royal instincts,--and asked him in a whisper his opinion
of what had taken place. "Do not think any more of it," said Mr.
Monk.
"That is so much more easily said than done. How am I not to think of
it?"
"Of course I mean that you are to act as though you had forgotten
it."
"Did you ever know a more gratuitous insult? Of course he was talking
of that Lady Eustace."
"I had not been listening to him before, but no doubt he was. I need
not tell you now what I think of Mr. Bonteen.
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