Lady Engleton, after asking the authoress to explain exactly what she meant by her last book, enquired if she had the latest news of Professor Fortescue. Lady Engleton had heard, with regret, that he had been greatly worried about that troublesome nephew whom he had educated and sent to Oxford.
“The young fellow had been behaving very badly,” Miss Du Prel said.
“Ungrateful creature,” cried Lady Engleton. “Running into debt I suppose.”
Miss Du Prel feared that the Professor was suffering in health. He had been working very hard.
“Oh, yes; what was that about some method of killing animals instantaneously to avoid the horrors of the slaughter-house? Professor Theobald has been saying what a pity it is that a man so able should waste his time over these fads. It would never bring him fame or profit, only ridicule. Every man had his little weakness, but this idea of saving pain to animals, Professor Theobald said, was becoming a sort of mania with poor Fortescue, and one feared that it might injure his career. He was greatly looked up to in the scientific world, but this sort of thing of course——
“Though it is nice of him in a way,” added Lady Engleton.
“His weaknesses are nobler than most people’s virtues,” said Miss Du Prel.
“Then you number this among his weaknesses?”
Algitha, who had joined the group, put this question.
“I would rather see him working in the cause of humanity,” Miss Du Prel answered.