"I think," said Marcia, in a tone trembling with indignation, "that Coryston is behaving abominably."
But her brothers did not respond, and Coryston looked at his sister with lifted brows. "Go it, Marcia!" he said, indulgently.
Lady Coryston began to read.
Before she had come to the end of her first paragraph Coryston was pacing the drawing-room, twisting his lips into all sorts of shapes, as was his custom when the brain was active. And with the beginning of the second, Arthur sprang to his feet.
"I say, mother!"
"Let me finish?" asked Lady Coryston with a hard patience.
She read to the end of the paper. And with the last words Arthur broke out:
"I won't have it, mother! It's not fair on Corry. It's beastly unfair!"
Lady Coryston made no reply. She sat quietly staring into Arthur's face, her hands, on which the rings sparkled, lightly clasped over the paper which lay upon her knee. James's expression was one of distress. Marcia sat dumfoundered.
James approached his mother.