“No, there’s no likeness.”
“Of course, one would have liked the boy to look like an Aviolet, at least. It’s a disappointment to my father, especially as Cecil will no doubt inherit Squires one of these days. At least, so poor Jim appears to have thought.”
There was gentle scorn in Ford Aviolet’s low voice and rather distinct enunciation.
“If he thought such a thing I wonder he didn’t send his wife and boy home long ago,” said Dr. Lucian curtly.
“My dear Lucian, you have been in the family councils ever since you saved Jim’s face over that horrible business of the blacksmith’s girl. You can hardly suppose that Jim imagined my dear father and mother, to say nothing of my humble self, would welcome a bouncing young woman who was barely eighteen on her wedding day, rejoicing in the good old English name of Smith. My charming sister-in-law has already informed us with great candour that she has never set foot in a country house before. The fact, I may add, was almost glaringly obvious.”
The doctor glanced sharply round at Ford. He knew of old that peculiar lucidity of utterance which he had long ago qualified as a curious and elaborate emanation of bitterness. It was as uncharacteristic of the Aviolets as Ford himself was uncharacteristic of his caste.
Physically, he resembled his mother, but his eyes, neither grey nor obtuse, were long and narrow, very dark-brown, and set close together under superciliously curved eyebrows. He was clean-shaven, which added to the youthful appearance of his slight person, standing nearly six foot high, but narrow-shouldered, and with unusually small and delicate hands and feet.
“I gather that Rose’s avocations in Ceylon were dancing, making her own clothes and the child’s, and trying to wheedle money out of Jim for their preposterous bills whenever he was sufficiently drunk to listen to her.”
The doctor, as sincerely disgusted by these confidences as any one of Ford’s own family might have been, continued to maintain silence.
“A man of your profession, Lucian, should be less squeamish at the sight of other people’s dirty linen,” said Ford mockingly. Then his tone changed.