“I’ll forgive that devil after he is well hanged, and not a half a second before. ’Cause it wouldn’t be safe, nohow.”
The entrance of young Dr. Ingle put an end to the subject. He had heard the story of the lady’s wrongs so often that he did not need to hear any part of it repeated.
Mrs. Force, her three daughters, and Miss Meeke, soon filed in, and the conversation became general.
Mr. Force and Leonidas entered soon after, and only in time for dinner.
The afternoon was passed in chess, music and conversation, and after an early tea Dr. and Mrs. Peters bade good-by to their entertainers and started for their home.
Dr. Ingle lingered longer—in fact, until after ten o’clock, the usual bedtime at Mondreer, and then at length he said good-night and went away.
But the family of Mondreer did not immediately retire on the departure of their last guest.
Was not this the first of January? And was not their dear Leonidas to leave them on the second?
They could not bid him good-night so soon. They lingered in the drawing room long after the departure of their last guest.
Mrs. Anglesea, who had by her fine animal instincts scented out the state of affairs in the family which entertained her, watched Leonidas and Odalite with lynx eyes.