“I sincerely hope that you did not laugh,” said her ladyship, sternly.
“Oh, dear, no,” said Tom, “not at all. Didn’t even smile.”
“I’m very glad of it,” said her ladyship.
“Oh, you are? That’s right,” said Tom; “but somehow one of the buttons flew off the front of my coat, and my ribs ached, and I lay back in a chair in a state of convulsion. I nearly had a fit.”
“Diphoos!” ejaculated her ladyship.
“And when dear Grantley came up he gnashed his teeth at me. He did, ’pon my word, till I roared again. I say, gov’nor, it’s the funniest thing out to see him in a passion.”
“It seems to me,” exclaimed her ladyship, hysterically, “as if the whole of my family were leagued against me, and determined to try and break off this match. From what I can gather, it seems to me, Tom, that you have grossly insulted Sir Grantley.”
“Bosh!” said Tom. “He made such an ass of himself that I roared with laughter, and served him right.”
“Fresh insults,” cried her ladyship; “but I can wait. At present, as I before observed, I shall take no steps to check this domestic mutiny on the part of my husband and my son.”
“Mutiny?”