“You may well look horrified! You were the guilty party, I suspect. Taking her all across the park under those dank trees!”
He coloured up to the eyes, little expecting to be thus convicted; but Mrs. Duncombe came to his aid. “My impartiality would impute the damage to her standing about with those wretched little dogs of mine.”
“It is your climate,” said Mrs. Tallboys. “In our dry atmosphere there would be no risk with a far lower temperature.”
“I hope it is nothing serious,” said Frank, anxiously.
“I hope so too,” said Lady Tyrrell, looking archly into his face, which had not learnt such impenetrability as poor Lenore’s.
“No; but really?” he said, in anxiety that would not be rallied away.
“This is the way,” said Lady Tyrrell. “Young gentlemen persuade young ladies to do the most imprudent things—saunter about in the cold after skating, and dawdle under trees, and then wonder when they catch cold.—Do they do such things in your country, Mrs. Tallboys, and expect the mammas and elder sisters to be gratified?”
“Mammas and elder sisters are at a discount with you, are not they?” said Mrs. Duncombe.
“Our young women are sufficient to protect themselves without our showing tacit distrust, and encumbering them with guardianship,” returned the Professor.
“Mr. Charnock wishes we had reached that point,” said Lady Tyrrell.