“Well, I didn’t believe it,” he admitted. “But if that’s the little ladybird, I do now!”
“It is untrue!” Harriet said. “He rescued her from a very awkward situation, and because she is an orphan, and has nowhere to go, he brought her to me!”
“Well, of all the brass-faced things to do!” exclaimed Gaywood. “When I see Sale—Where is he?”
“He is in Bath, but—but he is very much occupied at the present. You will see him presently, I daresay, but if you mean to insult him, Charlie, I shall never, never forgive you!”
These terrible words from his gentle sister quite astonished the Viscount. He looked at her in some concern, and said that he did not know what had come over her. “Of course, you’re such a silly little creature, Harry, that you will believe any bubble,” he said kindly. “Mind you, there’s no harm in Sale’s having a mistress in keeping, but to be flaunting her about Bath, and having the dashed impudence to cajole you into giving her countenance is coming it rather too strong, and so I shall tell him!”
“Very well, Gaywood!” said Harriet, with determined calm. “If you are set on making a great goose of yourself, you must do so! Perhaps you will tell him as well that you do not like his flaunting a schoolboy about Bath either!”
“What schoolboy?” demanded Gaywood.
She was obliged to divulge some part of the Duke’s adventures. Fortunately, Gaywood was so much entertained by a description of Tom’s behaviour that she was able to gloss over Belinda’s part in the story. She was grieved to think that she had exposed the Duke to her brother’s ridicule, but she knew the erratic Viscount well enough to feel tolerably sure that amusement would effectually banish righteous indignation from his mind.
The Duke, meanwhile, had sallied forth to buy himself some neckcloths and handkerchiefs. He was careful to avoid the fashionable quarter of the town, and had therefore the greatest difficulty in finding any neckcloths which Nettlebed would not instantly have given away to an under-footman. On his return to the Pelican he ran into Tom, who said that he had spent all his money, and was hungry. The Duke took him off to a pastry-cook’s shop, where, as it was a good three hours since he had partaken of a breakfast consisting of ham, eggs, about half a sirloin of cold beef, and a loaf of bread, he was able to do justice to a meat-pie, several jam-puffs, and a syllabub. Tom was inclined to think poorly of Bath, which city offered few attractions to a young gentleman of his tastes. He said, with a wistful gleam in his eye, that it would enliven the town to put aniseed on the hooves of some of the fat carriage-horses he had seen in Milsom Street, but added virtuously that he had refrained from purchasing any of this useful commodity, his intuition having warned him that putting aniseed on horses’ hooves was a pastime of which his protector would not approve. The Duke assured him that his instinct had not misled him, and rewarded him for his saintly conduct by giving him sixpence, and sending him off to the Sydney Gardens, with a promise that he would find there bowling-greens, grottoes, labyrinths, and Merlin swings. He set him on his way, accompanying him as far as to Argyle Buildings, and watching him traverse Laura Place towards Great Pulteney Street; and then turned with the intention of walking down Bridge Street. But just as he had crossed the river again, he caught sight of a lady who looked alarmingly like one of his aunt’s friends, and he promptly dived down a side-street. A very large gentleman who, with two companions, had been observing him narrowly, ejaculated: “That’s the scoundrel, you mark my words! A little dab of a man in an olive-green coat! After him, now!” The Duke, having removed himself from the vicinity of his aunt’s acquaintance, saw no need for haste, and was walking sedately along the narrow street. The sound of heavy-footed and somewhat hard-breathing pursuit made him turn his head, but as he did not recognize any of the three persons thudding behind him he did not connect the chase with himself, but merely looked rather surprised, and stepped aside to allow them to pass him. The foremost of them, whom he perceived to be a constable, reached him first, and shot out a hand, ejaculating: “Halt! Name of Rufford?”
“Yes,” said the Duke blankly. “What—”