Sir Jasper, in his grand and gracious manner, turned to his sister-in-law, saying—
“We could not but come first to you, Jane, for it is to you that he is indebted, as we all are, primarily for his success.”
“That is the greatest compliment I ever had, Jasper,” she answered, smiling but almost tearful, and laughing it off. “I feel ready to mount yonder elephant lady’s triumphal car.”
The General refrained from any more teasing of Fergus on his first impression; and at seven that evening the younger Merrifield boys with their uncle, and the two from St. Andrew’s Rock with Lance, set off in high spirits.
They re-appeared much sooner than they were expected at Beechcroft Cottage, where the Underwoods were spending the long twilight evening.
“A low concern!” was the General’s verdict.
“We fled simultaneously from the concluding ballet,” said Lance. “There had been quite as much as we could bear for ingenuous youth.”
“We stood the Sepoy’s Death Song,” said the General, “but the poster of the Bleeding Bride was enough for us.”
“They had only one elephant!” cried Adrian.
“A regular swindle,” said Wilfred.