After Officer Delinko gave him a lift home, Curly had entertained his wife and mother-in-law with a blow- by-blow account of the exciting events.

Farthingale was as well known in Riddsley as the Maypole; gossip had it that he was a by-blow of an old name.

At the same time, the little by-blow at Leibgeber did not surprise him so much as her remarkable bodily repugnance and antipathy to him.

"To the father of the girl's by-blow," he shouted, when the glasses were charged; and then the company laughed till the roof rang, and above all was the shrill laugh of Thorkell Mylrea.

"I'm a gentleman's by-blow, if you know what that is."