Digital books pub

Years,
and long intimacy, and wisdom admitted to be superior, could alone
justify the presumption."
The cheeks of Stevens became scalding hot.
"Young man!" he exclaimed, "there is something more than this!"
"What! would it need more were our positions reversed?" demanded
Hinkley with a promptness that surprised himself.
"Perhaps not! would you provoke me to personal violence?"
"Ha! might I hope for that? surely you forget that you are a
churchman?"
Stevens paused awhile before he answered. His eyes looked vacantly
around him. By this time they had left the more thickly-settled parts
of the village considerably behind them. But a few more dwellings
lay along the path on which they were approaching. On the left,
a gorge opened in the hills by which the valley was dotted, which
seemed a pathway, and did indeed lead to one or more dwellings which
were out of sight in the opposite valley. The region to which this
pathway led was very secluded, and the eye of Stevens surveyed it
for a few moments in silence. The words of Hinkley unquestionably
conveyed a challenge.


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