cold-water bandage, or any little medical appliance of that sort;—these were the things which Lady Amelia would, in her domestic good nature, condescend not to mind!
'I won't trouble her this evening,' said Crosbie.
'Well, upon my word, I think you're wrong. All manner of stories will get down to Courcy Castle, and to the countess's ears; and you don't know what harm may come of it. Lady Amelia thinks she had better write and explain it; but she can't do so till she has heard something about it from you.'
'Look here, Gazebee. I don't care one straw what story finds its way down to Courcy Castle.'
'But if the earl were to hear anything, and be offended?'
'He may recover from his offence as he best likes.'
'My dear fellow; that's talking wildly, you know.'
'What on earth do you suppose the earl can do to me? Do you think I'm going to live in fear of Lord de Courcy all my life, because I'm going to marry his daughter? I shall write to Alexandrina myself to-day, and you can tell her sister so. I'll be up to dinner on Sunday, unless my face makes it altogether out of the question.'
'And you won't come in time for church?'
'Would you have me go to church with such a face as this?'
Then Mr Mortimer Gazebee went, and when he got home, he told his wife that Crosbie was taking things with a high hand. 'The fact is, my dear, that he's ashamed of himself, and therefore tries to put a bold face upon it.'
'It was very foolish of him throwing himself in the way of that young man,—very; and so I shall tell him on Sunday. If he chooses to give himself airs to me, I shall make him understand that he is very wrong. He should remember now that the way in which he conducts himself is a matter of moment to all our family.'
'Of course he should,' said Mr Gazebee.
When the Sunday came the red-streaky period had arrived, but had by no means as yet passed away. The men at the office had almost become used to it; but Crosbie, in spite of his determination to go down to the club, had not yet shown himself elsewhere. Of course he did not go to church, but at five he made his appearance at the house in St. John's Wood. They always dined at five on Sundays, having some idea that by doing so they kept the Sabbath better than they would have done had they dined at seven. If keeping the Sabbath consists in going to bed early, or is in any way assisted by such a practice, they were right. To the cook that semi-early dinner might perhaps be convenient, as it gave her an excuse for not going to church in the afternoon, as the servants' and children's dinner gave her a similar excuse in the morning. Such little attempts at goodness,—proceeding half the way, or perhaps, as in this instance, one quarter of the way, on the disagreeable path towards goodness,—are very common with respectable people, such as Lady Amelia. If she would have dined at one o'clock, and have eaten cold meat one perhaps might have felt that she was entitled to some praise.
'Dear, dear, dear; this is very sad, isn't it, Adolphus?' she said on first seeing him.
'Well, it is sad, Amelia,' he said. He always called her Amelia, because she called him Adolphus; but Gazebee himself was never quite pleased when he heard it. Lady Amelia was older than Crosbie, and entitled to call him anything she liked; but he should have remembered the great difference in their rank. 'It is sad, Amelia,' he said. 'But will you oblige me in one thing?'
'What thing, Adolphus?'
'Not to say a word more about it. The black eye is a bad thing, no doubt, and has troubled me much; but the sympathy of my friends has troubled me a great deal more. I had all the family commiseration from Gazebee on Friday, and if it is repeated again, I shall lie down and die.'
'Shall 'Ooo die Uncle Dolphus, 'cause 'oo've got a bad eye?' asked de Courcy Gazebee, the eldest hope of the family, looking up into his face.
'No, my hero,' said Crosbie, taking the boy up into his arms, 'not because I've got a black eye. There isn't very much harm in that, and you'll have a great many before you leave school. But because the people will go on talking about it.'
'But aunt Dina on't like 'oo, if oo've got an ugly bad eye.'
'But, Adolphus,' said Lady Amelia, settling herself for an argument, 'that's all very well, you know—and I'm sure I'm very sorry to cause you any annoyance,—but really one doesn't know how to pass over such a thing without speaking of it. I have had a letter from mamma.'
'I hope Lady de Courcy is quite well.'
