“Did you see Lord Brancepeth before he died?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Did he tell you to say this?”
“No.”
Jack’s lips quivered, but he manfully strove not to cry.
Hurstmanceaux was perplexed. He dimly perceived the workings of the boy’s mind, and he sympathized with them; but he could not let his sympathy be shown.
“Put me down in the country somewhere,” said Jack, seeing his auditor was with him. “I don’t want grooms, and watches, and dressing-cases, and rubbish; I want to be alone down in the country.”
“My dear child,” said Ronald, “what is this new idea? Why do you want to bury yourself in a hermitage at your age? I am not your only guardian, Jack. There’s Lord Augustus.”
“Then send me to school,” said Jack desperately. “People as young as I go to schools. I tell you,” he added, and his teeth were shut tight as he said it, “I tell you, I will not live with her.”
Hurstmanceaux was silent, extremely perplexed, but moved to more feeling for the boy than he had ever felt.