“Sir, I warned you not so long since that you would not long ride Adolphus on a curb-bit, and you would not attend to me. Well! You see what has come of it!”
Lord Lionel pulled himself together. “Be silent!” he commanded. “You will do well to remember to whom you speak, sir! Let me tell you this! You are answerable for much in having permitted Gilly to go off in this crazy way!”
Gideon lifted his hand. “Oh, no, sir! You mistake! I have no authority over Gilly! I must be the only one of us all to say so, too!”
“Gideon!” said Lord Lionel, striking his fist on the table. “This is beyond the line of what is amusing! You have let that boy go away without one soul to wait on him, or see that he does not fall into some accident, and however well that may do for another young man, it will not do for him! He has never been obliged to fend for himself; he will not know how to go on; he may become ill through some folly or neglect! I had thought you too much attached to him to have been guilty of such behaviour!”
“Believe me, sir, I am so much attached to him that I hope he will fall into all manner of adventures and scrapes! I have a better opinion of Adolphus than you have, or indeed than he has of himself, and I think he will learn to manage very tolerably. He does not yet know his own value. He is unsure because untried. I hope he will not too speedily return to us.”
“I declare I am out of all patience with such talk!” exclaimed Lord Lionel, starting up. “If you do not know where he is, I am wasting my time with you! I shall leave no stone unturned to find him! When you have come to your senses, you may find me at Sale House!”
Gideon bowed, and strode over to open the door for him. Lord Lionel fairly snatched up his hat and cane from the chair where he had laid them, and left the chambers without another word.
“God help you, Adolphus!” said Gideon, shutting the door.
Just what stones his parent found to turn over in the succeeding two days he was unable to discover. That Lord Lionel was in London still he knew, for he twice met him, and exchanged a few words with him. Lord Lionel was doing what he could to scotch the rumours that were flying about the town, but with indifferent success, his son inferred. These had reached Gideon’s Colonel’s ears, who stated, somewhat elliptically, that he had no desire to interfere in Captain Ware’s private affairs, and supposed he knew what he was about.
“I have every reason, sir, to assure you that my cousin is alive and well,” replied Gideon, very stiff.