He found Alice in the drawing-room, and persuaded her to go up.
‘Just take it as if there ‘d been nothing wrong,’ he said to his sister. ‘She’s had a wretched time of it, I can see that. Take some tea-cakes up with you, and talk about going back to the Square as if she’d proposed it herself. We mustn’t be hard with her just because she can’t change, poor old soul.’
Socialistic business took him away during the evening. When he returned at eleven o’clock, ‘Arry had not yet come in. Shortly before one there were sounds of ineffectual effort at the front-door latch. Mutimer, who happened to be crossing the hall, heard them, and went to open the door. The result was that his brother fell forward at full length upon the mat.
‘Get up, drunken beast!’ Richard exclaimed angrily.
‘Beast yourself,’ was the hiccupped reply, repeated several times whilst ‘Arry struggled to his feet. Then, propping himself against the door-post, the maligned youth assumed the attitude of pugilism, inviting all and sundry to come on and have their lights extinguished. Richard flung him into the hall and closed the door. ‘Arry had again to struggle with gravitation.
‘Walk upstairs, if you can!’ ordered his brother with contemptuous severity.
After much trouble ‘Arry was got to his room, thrust in, and the door slammed behind him.
Richard was not disposed to argue with his brother this time. He waited in the dining-room next morning till the champion of liberty presented himself; then, scarcely looking at him, said with quiet determination:
‘Pack your clothes some time to-day. You’re going to Wanley to-morrow morning.’
‘Not unless I choose,’ remarked ‘Arry.