"Good afternoon," said the Duke, turning quickly round and walking away.

The Major stood for a while transfixed to the place, and, cold as was the weather, was bathed in perspiration.

A keen sense of having "put his foot into it" almost crushed him for a time.

Then he assured himself that, after all, the Duke "could not eat him," and with that consolatory reflection he crept back to the house and up to his own room.
To put the man down had of course been an easy task to the Duke, but he was not satisfied with that.

To the Major it seemed that the Duke had passed on with easy indifference;--but in truth he was very far from being easy.