Part 7 (1/2)
”Dear, dear Julia! And Nick can do something for himself,” said the mother of this candidate.
”I've no doubt he can do anything,” Peter Sherringham returned good-naturedly. Then, ”Do you mean in expenses?” he inquired.
”Ah I'm afraid he can't do much in expenses, poor dear boy! And it's dreadful how little we can look to Percy.”
”Well, I daresay you may look to Julia. I think that's her idea.”
”Delightful Julia!” Lady Agnes broke out. ”If poor Sir Nicholas could have known! Of course he must go straight home,” she added.
”He won't like that,” said Grace.
”Then he'll have to go without liking it.”
”It will rather spoil _your_ little excursion, if you've only just come,” Peter suggested; ”to say nothing of the great Biddy's, if she's enjoying Paris.”
”We may stay perhaps--with Julia to protect us,” said Lady Agnes.
”Ah she won't stay; she'll go over for her man.”
”Her man----?”
”The fellow who stands, whoever he is--especially if he's Nick.” These last words caused the eyes of Peter Sherringham's companions to meet again, and he went on: ”She'll go straight down to Harsh.”
”Wonderful Julia!” Lady Agnes panted. ”Of course Nick must go straight there too.”
”Well, I suppose he must see first if they'll have him.”
”If they'll have him? Why how can he tell till he tries?”
”I mean the people at headquarters, the fellows who arrange it.”
Lady Agnes coloured a little. ”My dear Peter, do you suppose there will be the least doubt of their 'having' the son of his father?”
”Of course it's a great name, Cousin Agnes--a very great name.”
”One of the greatest, simply,” Lady Agnes smiled.
”It's the best name in the world!” said Grace more emphatically.
”All the same it didn't prevent his losing his seat.”
”By half-a-dozen votes: it was too odious!” her ladys.h.i.+p cried.
”I remember--I remember. And in such a case as that why didn't they immediately put him in somewhere else?”
”How one sees you live abroad, dear Peter! There happens to have been the most extraordinary lack of openings--I never saw anything like it--for a year. They've had their hand on him, keeping him all ready. I daresay they've telegraphed him.”
”And he hasn't told you?”
Lady Agnes faltered. ”He's so very odd when he's abroad!”