It was all very well for the woman to come spying into his room; but to take a dagger to him, to think a dagger in a woman's hand could cope with him,--that was too preposterous.

Wogan felt very much inclined to sweep that curtain aside and tell his visitor how he had escaped from Newgate and played hide-and-seek amongst the chimney-pots.

And although he restrained himself from that, he allowed his anger to get the better of his prudence.

Under the impulse of his anger he acted.

It was a whimsical thing that he did, and though he suffered for it he could never afterwards bring himself to regret it.