'Certainly;--why not? She is at, home now, I think.'
'I will wait till to-morrow,--when I call to see Felix. I should like her to know that I am coming. Paul Montague was in town the other day. He was here, I suppose?'
'Yes;--he called.'
'Was that all you saw of him?'
'He was at the Melmottes' ball. Felix got a card for him;--and we were there. Has he gone down to Carbury?'
'No;--not to Carbury. I think he had some business about his partners at Liverpool. There is another case of a young man without anything to do. Not that Paul is at all like Sir Felix.' This he was induced to say by the spirit of honesty which was always strong within him.
'Don't be too hard upon poor Felix.' said Lady Carbury. Roger, as he took his leave, thought that it would be impossible to be too hard upon Sir Felix Carbury.
The next morning Lady Carbury was in her son's bedroom before he was up, and with incredible weakness told him that his cousin Roger was coming to lecture him. 'What the devil's the use of it?' said Felix from beneath the bedclothes.
'If you speak to me in that way, Felix, I must leave the room.'
'But what is the use of his coming to me? I know what he has got to say just as if it were said. It's all very well preaching sermons to good people, but nothing ever was got by preaching to people who ain't good.'
'Why shouldn't you be good?'
'I shall do very well, mother, if that fellow will leave me alone. I can play my hand better than he can play for me. If you'll go now I'll get up.' She had intended to ask him for some of the money which she believed he still possessed; but her courage failed her. If she asked for his money, and took it, she would in some fashion recognise and tacitly approve his gambling. It was not yet eleven, and it was early for him to leave his bed; but he had resolved that he would get out of the house before that horrible bore should be upon him with his sermon. To do this he must be energetic. He was actually eating his breakfast at half-past eleven, and had already contrived in his mind how he would turn the wrong way as soon as he got into the street,-- towards Marylebone Road, by which route Roger would certainly not come. He left the house at ten minutes before twelve, cunningly turned away, dodging round by the first corner,--and just as he had turned it encountered his cousin. Roger, anxious in regard to his errand, with time at his command, had come before the hour appointed and had strolled about, thinking not of Felix but of Felix's sister. The baronet felt that he had been caught,--caught unfairly, but by no means abandoned all hope of escape. 'I was going to your mother's house on purpose to see you,' said Roger.