Before her ladyship could offer any further objection, he had kissed her on her powdered cheek, nodded to his stepfather, and departed.
"Quite his own master!" remarked his mother, as she heard the whistle for a taxi, "and I had promised to take him to the Rutherfords' 'at home!' Last night he was at the Opera,—it's almost impossible to get hold of him."
"You'll find some young woman will get hold of him," snarled Lord Torquilstone. "I hope she'll be, er! er! respectable. It's just those young fellows home on leave—that the worst of women pounce on."
Upon this subject, arose an immediate argument, Lady Torquilstone declaring, that "no man with good blood in his veins, would be likely to marry out of his class." Her husband held the opposite view, and backed his opinion, with an imposing string of names. The argument waxed louder, and presently developed into a personal quarrel, and (unmindful of the grey parrot's warning cry, of "Hullo! Hullo! Police! Police!") they continued exchanging nasty thrusts, until a footman brought in the ten o'clock post, and her ladyship having collected her letters, left the smoking-room, fortified with the consciousness, that the last word, had been hers.
It was the day of a very "Big" race at Sandown, the weather was perfection, and half society, and all the racing world poured out of London in a long succession of specials.
Captain Mayne and a brother officer, had secured the last two seats in a smoking carriage; the train was just about to start, when the door was wrenched open, and a tall young man, leapt in, and hauled a girl after him. A stout individual by the window, rose, and offered the lady his place, and he and her companion, stood,—blocking up the compartment. "By Jove, that was a near squeak," exclaimed the young man, breathless, but triumphant. Mayne recognized him as an acquaintance—the Honourable Tony Lamerton.
"Yes!" panted his companion, "what a race! I wonder what has become of the others?"
"Left behind, I'll bet. I'll swear her ladyship could never leg it down the platform, as you did!"
"Then pray, what am I to do for a chaperon?" and the girl laughed.