'Drat the man!' cried my lady in wrath. He had come near to oversetting

her plate. 'What flea has bitten you now?' 'Do you know--who these people are?' Mr. Thomasson stammered, trembling

with rage; and, resting both hands on the back of his chair, he glared

now at them and now at Lady Dunborough. He could be truculent where he

had nothing to fear; and he was truculent now.

'These people?' my lady drawled in surprise; and she inspected them

through her quizzing-glass as coolly as if they were specimens of a rare

order submitted to her notice. 'Not in the least, my good man. Who are

they? Should I know them?' 'They are--' But the little man, whose seat happened to be opposite the tutor's, had

risen to his feet by this time; and at that word cut him short. 'Sir!'

he cried in a flutter of agitation. 'Have a care! Have a care what you

say! I am a lawyer, and I warn you that anything defamatory

will--will be--' 'Pooh!' said Mr. Thomasson. 'Don't try to browbeat me, sir. These

persons are impostors, Lady Dunborough! Impostors!' he continued. 'In

this house, at any rate. They have no right to be here!' 'You shall pay for this!' shrieked Mr. Fishwick. For he it was.

'I will ring the bell,' the tutor continued in a high tone, 'and have

them removed. They have no more to do with Sir George Soane, whose name

they appear to have taken, than your ladyship has.' 'Have a care! Have a care, sir,' cried the lawyer, trembling.

'Or than I have!' persisted Mr. Thomasson hardily, and with his head in

the air; 'and no right or title to be anywhere but in the servants'

room. That is their proper place. Lady Dunborough,' he continued, his

eyes darting severity at the three culprits, 'are you aware that this

young person whom you have been so kind as to notice is--is--' 'Oh, Gadzooks, man, come to the point!' cried her ladyship, with one eye

on the victuals.

'No, I will not shame her publicly,' said Mr. Thomasson, swelling with

virtuous self-restraint. 'But if your ladyship would honour me with two

words apart?' Lady Dunborough rose, muttering impatiently; and Mr. Thomasson, with the

air of a just man in a parable, led her a little aside; but so that the

three who remained at the table might still feel that his eye and his

reprehension rested on them. He spoke a few words to her ladyship;

whereon she uttered a faint cry, and stiffened. A moment and she turned

and came back to the table, her face crimson, her headdress nodding.

She looked at the girl, who had just risen to her feet.




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