“If he were not a gentleman he could have managed you. But that has nothing to do with it. You have no right to enter a family to disgrace it. I suppose it’s not possible to make you understand; but its honour should be your own.”
“I don’t care a hang about any such high-falutin’ nonsense. I entered this family to get what I wanted, and when it’s got no more to give me it can be the laughing-stock of England for all I care.”
“I thought you loved Cecil.”
The ugly expression which had been deepening about Lady Barnstaple’s mouth relaxed for a moment.
“I do; but I can’t help it. He’s got to go with the rest. I don’t know that I care much, though; you’re enough to make me hate him. What I hate more than everything else put together is to give up the Abbey. And you can be sure that after the way Mr. Pix has been treated——”
“Mr. Pix will leave this house to-night. If you don’t send him I shall.”
“You’re a fool. If you knew which side your bread was buttered on you’d make such a fuss over him that everybody else would treat him decently——”
“I have fully identified myself with my husband’s family, if you have not, and I shall do nothing to add to its dishonour. There are worse things than giving up the Abbey—which can be rented; it need not be sold. The Gearys would rent it to-morrow.”
“If you think so much of this family I wonder you can make up your mind to leave it.”
Lee hesitated a moment. Then she said: “I shall never leave it so long as it needs me. And it certainly needs somebody just at present. Mr. Pix must leave; that’s the first point. Lord Barnstaple and Cecil must be told just so much and no more. Don’t you dare tell them that Mr. Pix has been running the Abbey. You can have letters from Chicago to-morrow saying that you are ruined.”