He took his hat and left the room without another word.
"I say, mother," said Nicholas, "suppose he don't come back?"
"There's no fear of that," said Mrs. Kent, coldly.
"But I say, mother, he's pretty plucky, Jasper is."
"He won't run away from me as long as I have charge of his property, you may be sure of that. He'll be coming back and apologizing pretty soon."
"Suppose he doesn't?"
"Then it'll be his own fault."
"You may as well let him go back to school, mother. He'll be out of our way, and we can enjoy ourselves."
"I am not going to gratify him so far. He has defied me and insulted me, and he must take the consequences," said Mrs. Kent, with a compression of her thin lips.
On the whole, Jasper's prospects could not be said to be very flattering.