Part 91 (1/2)
Ruperta put her hand before her mother's mouth, then turned to her father.
”There was no need to express your wish so harshly, papa. We shall obey.”
Then she whispered her mother, ”And Mr. Rutland shall pay for it.”
Mrs. Ba.s.sett communicated this behest to Lady Ba.s.sett in a letter.
Then Lady Ba.s.sett summoned all her courage, and sent for her son Compton. ”Compton,” said she, ”I must speak to Reginald. Can you find him?”
”Oh yes, I can find him. I am sorry to say anybody can find him at this time of day.”
”Why, where is he?”
”I hardly like to tell you.”
”Do you think his peculiarities have escaped me?”
”At the public-house.”
”Ask him to come to me.”
Compton went to the public-house, and there, to his no small disgust, found Mr. Reginald Ba.s.sett playing the fiddle, and four people, men and women, dancing to the sound, while one or two more smoked and looked on.
Compton restrained himself till the end of that dance, and then stepped up to Reginald and whispered him, ”Mamma wants to see you directly.”
”Tell her I'm busy.”
”I shall tell her nothing of the kind. You know she is very ill, and has not seen you yet; and now she wants to. So come along at once, like a good fellow.”
”Youngster,” said Reginald, ”it is a rule with me never to leave a young woman for an old one.”
”Not for your mother?”
”No, nor my grandmother either.”
”Then you were born without a heart. But you shall come, whether you like it or not--though I have to drag you there by the throat.”
”Learn to spell 'able' first.”
”I'll spell it on your head, if you don't come.”
”Oh, that is the game, young un, is it?”
”Yes.”
”Well, don't let us have a s.h.i.+ndy on the bricks; there is a nice little paddock outside. Come out there and I'll give you a lesson.”
”Thank you; I don't feel inclined to a.s.sist you in degrading our family.”