By this time a small audience, consisting of the waiter, the boots, the tapster, and two chambermaids had gathered in the lobby, and the Duke, acutely unhappy at finding himself the centre of so much curiosity, said: “Please step up to the parlour, Miss—Miss Mamble! And do you come up too, Mrs. Appleby! I will explain it to you in private!”
Belinda got up readily from the chair. The Duke took the bandboxes from her; and Mrs. Appleby, after demanding to know if her various servants could find nothing better to do than to stand there gaping, said that no amount of explanation would reconcile her to Belinda’s presence in the inn. But as Belinda and the Duke were by this time halfway up the stairs she was obliged to follow them, maintaining a threatening monologue all the way.
The Duke ushered Belinda into his parlour, set down the bandboxes, and firmly shut the door upon her. He turned to confront Mrs. Appleby.
That redoubtable lady at once broke into speech. If, she declared, Mr. Rufford had the least hope of her keeping that Hussy under her roof for as much as one hour he was sadly mistaken! To be sure, she might have guessed, after the events of this day, that something of the sort would happen, but boys’ mischief was one thing, and goings-on of this nature quite another.
“Mrs. Appleby,” interrupted the Duke, “can you seriously suppose that I nourish the slightest improper design towards that child? Why, she is hardly out of the school-room!”
“I know nothing of your designs, sir,” retorted Mrs. Appleby, “but hers are plain enough, and give her a room in my house I will not!”
“Then I must give her mine, and sleep on the sofa in the parlour,” said the Duke calmly.
Mrs. Appleby fought for breath.
“You cannot,” proceeded the Duke, “turn a child of that age into the street at this hour. Indeed, I am persuaded you are by far too good a woman to think of doing so.”
“Let her,” said Mrs. Appleby terribly, “go back to wherever it was she came from!”