. Staines Court appeared at these times like a

tly butler violently ejected from the dining-room had been seen passing swiftly throu

language. Eddies of blasphemous sound rushed o

d island in the middle of an empty sea. His foot was rolled in bandages and placed on a low stool before

Sir Peter was well she frequently raised storms, but when he had gout she let hi

ines has ever spoken of his lungs. The boy's mad. I don't admit it! I don't believe it for a moment, all a damned piece of doct

ul and critical eyes. "I should say you send for 'em," he observed, "whenever you've got a pain; why they're al

here to expose them! That's why-I just let them try it on, and then hold them up to ridic

less you're very bad indeed, and then you d

a pack of ill-bred bumpkins, full of witch magic as a dog of fleas, I see myself! Don't stand grinning there, Charles, like a dirty, shock-headed barmaid's dropped hair pin! I won't stand it! I can't see why all my sons should have thin legs, neither you nor I, Sarah, ever went abou

a deuced megaphone," said Charles wearily. "Let's

voice without expression; it might have been an ac

nor if he'll let me have some money. I shall want it badly. My wife and the kid will go to her people. You might run across and have a lo

ffectio

in

t's all," sa

in his hands. Even Lady Staines looked up from the lawn mower's letter, which she had placed on the top of W

t to go back to her people for? She must go with him! She must go to Davos! She shall go to Davos! if I have to take her there by the hair! I never heard of anything so outrageous in my life! What becomes of domesticity? where's family life? That's what

e with him or not. Consumption isn't a joke, and I tell you plainly that if you don't help him when he's got a chance, you needn't expect me to come to the funeral. No flowers and coffins and beloved sons o

w, Charles," said L

ught of Charles and what he intended to do to

said, "this is a bad b

et her eyes

ed, "a damned

off," she added aft

tenant I ever had, soft-headed, London vermin! He doesn't know anything about manure-and he'll never learn. I shall cut down all his trees as so

d," Lady Staines said. "He

se before, that marriage would never have taken place. I sit here simmering with it day in and day out and everybody else goes about giving the whole show away! If it hadn't been for my tact Charles would have married that manicure girl years ago. Bring me my check-boo

r a few minutes, and then

a pair of bellows-can they? Then why make condemned asses of themselves, and say they c