“I should say not! It’s a mystery to me how the aristocracy of England go into trade, and if it’s a big enough deal, they think it’s all right. If it’s tea or bread or soap, it doesn’t matter, so they sell enough of it. Well, young man, what about your escapade in the Park? Shall I tell your aunt?”
“You said you intended to,—do as you like.”
“I won’t tell her, if——”
“Oh, you’d better tell me—what is it?”
The cool, incisive tones of Miss Prall interrupted the speakers and Richard’s aunt calmly gazed at him and then at Miss Gurney, as she came into the room, seated herself, and began drawing off her gloves.
“I’ll tell you myself, Aunt Letitia,” said Bates. “I’m old enough not to be bossed and ballyragged by you two women! Forgive me, Aunt Letty, but, truly, Eliza makes me so mad——”
“Go out, Eliza,” said Miss Prall, and Eliza went.
“Now, Ricky boy, what is it? About Sir Herbert of course. And I’ll stand by you,—if you don’t want to go into his business, you shan’t——”
“It isn’t that at all, Aunt Letitia. Or, at least, that is in the air, too,—up in the air, in fact,—but what Eliza is going to tell you,—and I prefer to tell you myself,—is that I’m in love with——”
“Oh, Richard, I am so glad! You dear boy. I’ve felt for a long time that if you were interested in one girl—some sweet young girl,—you’d have a sort of anchor and——”