On the way he told her where the children had been discovered, and in what attitude.
“Little darlings!” said she. “But he has frightened his poor mother, and nearly broken her heart. Oh!”
“If you cry any more, mamma—Shut up, I tell you!”
“Must I? Oh!”
“Yes, or you'll catch pepper.”
Then he pulled her along, gabbling all the time. “Those two swells didn't quarrel after all, you see.”
“Thank Heaven!”
“But they looked at each other like hobelixes, and pulled the kids away like pison. Ha! ha! I say, the young 'uns ain't of the same mind as the old 'uns. I say, though, our Compton is not a bad sort; I'm blowed if he hadn't taken off his tippet to put round his gal. I say, don't you think that little chap has begun rather early? Why, I didn't trouble my head about the gals till I was eleven years old.”
Lady Bassett was too much agitated to discuss these delicate little questions just then.
She replied as irrelevantly as ever a lady did. “Oh, you good, brave, clever boy!” said she.