"You certainly suffered for your generous effort to save our poor friend," she added; "I can never forget your rushing back under the tottering ruins, and that awful crash!" She shuddered.
"Yes, indeed, Egerton, you look a little haggard; don't you feel strong?" enquired the Colonel.
"Why you see, Colonel, I have been a good deal cut up about all this business, and to say the truth I do not like leaving England."
"That must be because you are still suffering from the debility of indisposition," said Miss Vernon, "or such a lover of excitement as you are would be enchanted at the idea of India, and its tiger hunts, and cave temples, with a possibility of shooting or being shot."
"So I would four or five months ago; now I am paying dearly for extravagance."
"Do not be so severe on yourself; few young men can quite resist temptation," said the Colonel, kindly.
"I wonder what is the pleasure of betting; it seems very absurd," said Miss Vernon.
"How could you know anything about it?" enquired her grandfather.