to refrain from the indulgence of this dream, and he followed the footman to a small breakfast-room at the back of the house with nothing in his head but a sense of deep injury.
My lord, in a dressing-gown of brocaded silk, was seated at the table with a tankard and a sirloin before him. His secretary was also present, apparently attempting to cope with a number of invitations for his lordship, for as Mr Drelincourt strutted in he said despairingly: ‘But, sir, you must surely remember that you are promised to her Grace of Bedford to-night!’
‘I wish,’ said Rule plaintively, ‘that you would rid yourself of that notion, my dear Arnold. I cannot imagine where you had it. I never remember anything disagreeable. Good-morning, Crosby.’ He put up his glass the better to observe the letters in Mr Gisborne’s hand. ‘The one on the pink paper, Arnold. I have a great predilection for the one writ on pink paper. What is it?’
‘A card-party at Mrs Wallchester’s, sir,’ said Mr Gisborne in a voice of disapproval.
‘My instinct is never at fault,’ said his lordship. ‘The pink one it shall be. Crosby, really there is no need for you to stand. Have you come to breakfast? Oh, don’t go, Arnold, don’t go.’
‘If you please, Rule, I wish to be private with you,’ said Mr Drelincourt, who had favoured the secretary with the smallest of bows.
‘Don’t be shy, Crosby,’ said his lordship kindly. ‘If it’s money Arnold is bound to know all about it.’
‘It is not,’ said Mr Drelincourt, much annoyed.
‘Permit me, sir,’ said Mr Gisborne, moving to the door.
Mr Drelincourt put down his hat and his cane, and drew out a chair from the table. ‘Not breakfast, no!’ he said a little peevishly.
The Earl surveyed him patiently. ‘Well, what is it now, Crosby?’ he inquired.
‘I came to,’ said Mr Drelincourt, ‘I came to speak to you about this – this betrothal.’
‘There’s nothing private about that,’ observed Rule, addressing himself to the cold roast beef.
‘No, indeed!’ said Crosby with a hint of indignation in his voice. ‘I suppose it is true?’
‘Oh, quite true,’ said his lordship. ‘You may safely felicitate me, my dear Crosby.’
‘As to that – why, certainly! Certainly, I wish you very happy,’ said Crosby, put out. ‘But you never spoke a word of it to me. It takes me quite by surprise. I must think it extremely odd, cousin, considering the singular nature of our relationship.’
‘The – ?’ My lord seemed puzzled.
‘Come, Rule, come! As your heir I might be supposed to have some claim to be apprised of your intentions.’
‘Accept my apologies,’ said his lordship. ‘Are you sure you won’t have some breakfast, Crosby? You do not look at all the thing, my dear fellow. In fact, I should almost feel inclined to recommend another hairpowder than this blue you affect. A charming tint, Crosby: you must not think I don’t admire it, but its reflected pallor upon your countenance –’
‘If I seem pale, cousin, you should rather blame the extraordinary announcement in to-day’s Gazette. It has given me a shock; I shan’t deny it has given me a shock.’
‘But, Crosby,’ said his lordship plaintively, ‘were you really sure that you would outlive me?’
‘In the course of nature I might expect to,’ replied Mr Drelincourt, too much absorbed in his disappointment to consider his words. ‘I can give you ten years, you must remember.’
Rule shook his head. ‘I don’t think you should build on it,’ he said. ‘I come of distressingly healthy stock, you know.’
‘Very true,’ agreed Mr Drelincourt. ‘It is a happiness to all your relatives.’
‘I see it is,’ said his lordship gravely.
‘Pray don’t mistake me, Marcus!’ besought his cousin. ‘You must not suppose that your demise could occasion in me anything but a sense of the deepest bereavement, but you’ll allow a man must look to the future.’
‘Such a remote
My lord, in a dressing-gown of brocaded silk, was seated at the table with a tankard and a sirloin before him. His secretary was also present, apparently attempting to cope with a number of invitations for his lordship, for as Mr Drelincourt strutted in he said despairingly: ‘But, sir, you must surely remember that you are promised to her Grace of Bedford to-night!’
‘I wish,’ said Rule plaintively, ‘that you would rid yourself of that notion, my dear Arnold. I cannot imagine where you had it. I never remember anything disagreeable. Good-morning, Crosby.’ He put up his glass the better to observe the letters in Mr Gisborne’s hand. ‘The one on the pink paper, Arnold. I have a great predilection for the one writ on pink paper. What is it?’
‘A card-party at Mrs Wallchester’s, sir,’ said Mr Gisborne in a voice of disapproval.
‘My instinct is never at fault,’ said his lordship. ‘The pink one it shall be. Crosby, really there is no need for you to stand. Have you come to breakfast? Oh, don’t go, Arnold, don’t go.’
‘If you please, Rule, I wish to be private with you,’ said Mr Drelincourt, who had favoured the secretary with the smallest of bows.
‘Don’t be shy, Crosby,’ said his lordship kindly. ‘If it’s money Arnold is bound to know all about it.’
‘It is not,’ said Mr Drelincourt, much annoyed.
‘Permit me, sir,’ said Mr Gisborne, moving to the door.
Mr Drelincourt put down his hat and his cane, and drew out a chair from the table. ‘Not breakfast, no!’ he said a little peevishly.
The Earl surveyed him patiently. ‘Well, what is it now, Crosby?’ he inquired.
‘I came to,’ said Mr Drelincourt, ‘I came to speak to you about this – this betrothal.’
‘There’s nothing private about that,’ observed Rule, addressing himself to the cold roast beef.
‘No, indeed!’ said Crosby with a hint of indignation in his voice. ‘I suppose it is true?’
‘Oh, quite true,’ said his lordship. ‘You may safely felicitate me, my dear Crosby.’
‘As to that – why, certainly! Certainly, I wish you very happy,’ said Crosby, put out. ‘But you never spoke a word of it to me. It takes me quite by surprise. I must think it extremely odd, cousin, considering the singular nature of our relationship.’
‘The – ?’ My lord seemed puzzled.
‘Come, Rule, come! As your heir I might be supposed to have some claim to be apprised of your intentions.’
‘Accept my apologies,’ said his lordship. ‘Are you sure you won’t have some breakfast, Crosby? You do not look at all the thing, my dear fellow. In fact, I should almost feel inclined to recommend another hairpowder than this blue you affect. A charming tint, Crosby: you must not think I don’t admire it, but its reflected pallor upon your countenance –’
‘If I seem pale, cousin, you should rather blame the extraordinary announcement in to-day’s Gazette. It has given me a shock; I shan’t deny it has given me a shock.’
‘But, Crosby,’ said his lordship plaintively, ‘were you really sure that you would outlive me?’
‘In the course of nature I might expect to,’ replied Mr Drelincourt, too much absorbed in his disappointment to consider his words. ‘I can give you ten years, you must remember.’
Rule shook his head. ‘I don’t think you should build on it,’ he said. ‘I come of distressingly healthy stock, you know.’
‘Very true,’ agreed Mr Drelincourt. ‘It is a happiness to all your relatives.’
‘I see it is,’ said his lordship gravely.
‘Pray don’t mistake me, Marcus!’ besought his cousin. ‘You must not suppose that your demise could occasion in me anything but a sense of the deepest bereavement, but you’ll allow a man must look to the future.’
‘Such a remote
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