Having commonly the sway of his passions, he was in the habit of forgetting that he ever lost control of them; and the fierce black mood, engendered by Robert's audacious persecution, had passed from his memory, though it was now recalled in full force.
"See what a mess you drag a man into," he said.
Algernon read a line of the letter.

"Oh, confound this infernal fellow!" he shouted, in sickly wonderment; and snapped sharp, "drag you into the mess?
Upon my honour, your coolness, Ned, is the biggest part about you, if it isn't the best." Edward's grip fixed on him, for they were only just out of earshot of Mrs.Lovell.They went upstairs, and Algernon read the letter through.
"'Midnight assassin,'" he repeated; "by Jove! how beastly that sounds.
It's a lie that you attacked him in the dark, Ned--eh ?" "I did not attack him at all," said Edward.

"He behaved like a ruffian to you, and deserved shooting like a mad dog." "Did you, though," Algernon persisted in questioning, despite his cousin's manifest shyness of the subject "did you really go out with that man Sedgett, and stop this fellow on horseback?
He speaks of a blow.

You didn't strike him, did you, Ned?
I mean, not a hit, except in self-defence ?" Edward bit his lip, and shot a level reflective side-look, peculiar to him when meditating.

He wished his cousin to propose that Mrs.Lovell should see the letter.