“How?”
“By proper advances first, and if diplomacy fails, by a dashing charge—an elopement.”
“Humph!” ejaculated Marcus. “Should you inform Lady Millet, your mamma, before you took such a step?”
“I should take the lady I had chosen for my wife straight home.”
“And a very good place, too,” said Glen, who remained very thoughtful, saying little till they reached Lady Littletown’s gates.
“Are you going to call here?”
“To be sure. Come with me?” replied Glen; and receiving an answer in the affirmative to the inquiry as to whether Lady Littletown was at home, they were shown in, to find to their great delight that her ladyship had been over to the Palace that afternoon, and had brought back Clotilde and Marie to dine with her and spend the evening.
“It will help to form their minds, my dears,” her ladyship had said to the Honourable Misses Dymcox; “and really, now that we have this project in hand, I feel towards them as if they were my own children.”
This was while the young ladies had gone up to dress and frighten Ruth by their exigencies and sharp ways, after which they had an airing in Lady Littletown’s carriage, and, when the young officers were announced, were sipping their five o’clock tea.
“Now, now, now,” cried Lady Littletown in tones of playful menace, as she gave her fingers to the officers in turn, “I shall not allow this sort of thing. You soldiers are such dreadful men. You knew my poor children here had come over to cheer my solitude, and you mount your chargers and gallop over at once.”