LADYLUNDIEpointedsignificantlytothedoor，andaddressedherselftoSirPatrick’sprivateear。
“Observe!“shesaid。“MissSilvesterhasjustgotridofsomebody。“
SirPatrickdeliberatelylookedinthewrongdirection，andinthepolitestpossiblemannerobserved——nothing。
LadyLundieadvancedintothesummer-house。Suspicioushatredofthegovernesswaswrittenlegiblyineverylineofherface。
Suspiciousdistrustofthegoverness’sillnessspokeplainlyineverytoneofhervoice。
“MayIinquire，MissSilvester，ifyoursufferingsarerelieved？“
“Iamnobetter，LadyLundie。“
“Ibegyourpardon？“
“IsaidIwasnobetter。“
“Youappeartobeabletostandup。When_I_amill，Iamnotsofortunate。Iamobligedtoliedown。“’
“Iwillfollowyourexample，LadyLundie。Ifyouwillbesogoodastoexcuseme，Iwillleaveyou，andliedowninmyownroom。“
Shecouldsaynomore。TheinterviewwithGeoffreyhadwornherout；therewasnospiritleftinhertoresistthepettymaliceofthewoman，afterbearing，asshehadborneit，thebrutishindifferenceoftheman。Inanothermomentthehystericalsufferingwhichshewaskeepingdownwouldhaveforceditswayoutwardintears。Withoutwaitingtoknowwhethershewasexcusedornot，withoutstoppingtohearawordmore，sheleftthesummer-house。
LadyLundie’smagnificentblackeyesopenedtotheirutmostwidth，andblazedwiththeirmostdazzlingbrightness。SheappealedtoSirPatrick，poisedeasilyonhisivorycane，andlookingoutatthelawn-party，thepictureofvenerableinnocence。
“AfterwhatIhavealreadytoldyou，SirPatrick，ofMissSilvester’sconduct，mayIaskwhetheryouconsider_that_
proceedingatallextraordinary？“
Theoldgentlemantouchedthespringintheknobofhiscane，andanswered，inthecourtlymanneroftheoldschool：
“IconsidernoproceedingextraordinaryLadyLundie，whichemanatesfromyourenchantingsex。“
Hebowed，andtookhispinch。Withalittlejauntyflourishofthehand，hedustedthestraygrainsofsnuffoffhisfingerandthumb，andlookedbackagainatthelawn-party，andbecamemoreabsorbedinthediversionsofhisyoungfriendsthanever。
LadyLundiestoodherground，plainlydeterminedtoforceaseriousexpressionofopinionfromherbrother-in-law。Beforeshecouldspeakagain，ArnoldandBlancheappearedtogetheratthebottomofthesteps。“Andwhendoesthedancingbegin？“inquiredSirPatrick，advancingtomeetthem，andlookingasifhefeltthedeepestinterestinaspeedysettlementofthequestion。
“TheverythingIwasgoingtoaskmamma，“returnedBlanche。“IssheintherewithAnne？IsAnnebetter？“
LadyLundieforthwithappeared，andtooktheanswertothatinquiryonherself。
“MissSilvesterhasretiredtoherroom。MissSilvesterpersistsinbeingill。Haveyounoticed，SirPatrick，thatthesehalf-bredsortofpeoplearealmostinvariablyrudewhentheyareill？“
Blanche’sbrightfaceflushedup。“IfyouthinkAnneahalf-bredperson，LadyLundie，youstandaloneinyouropinion。Myuncledoesn’tagreewithyou，I’msure。“
SirPatrick’sinterestinthefirstquadrillebecamealmostpainfultosee。“_Do_tellme，mydear，when_is_thedancinggoingtobegin？“
“Thesoonerthebetter，“interposedLadyLundie；“beforeBlanchepicksanotherquarrelwithmeonthesubjectofMissSilvester。“
Blanchelookedatheruncle。“Begin!begin!Don’tlosetime!“
criedtheardentSirPatrick，pointingtowardthehousewithhiscane。“Certainly，uncle!Anythingthat_you_wish!“Withthatpartingshotatherstep-mother，Blanchewithdrew。Arnold，whohadthusfarwaitedinsilenceatthefootofthesteps，lookedappealinglyatSirPatrick。Thetrainwhichwastotakehimtohisnewlyinheritedpropertywouldstartinlessthananhour；
andhehadnotpresentedhimselftoBlanche’sguardianinthecharacterofBlanche’ssuitoryet!SirPatrick’sindifferencetoalldomesticclaimsonhim——claimsofpersonswholoved，andclaimsofpersonswhohated，itdidn’tmatterwhich——remainedperfectlyunassailable。Therehestood，poisedonhiscane，humminganoldScotchair。AndtherewasLadyLundie，resolutenottoleavehimtillhehadseenthegovernesswith_her_eyesandjudgedthegovernesswith_her_mind。Shereturnedtothecharge——inspiteofSirPatrick，hummingatthetopofthesteps，andofArnold，waitingatthebottom。Herenemiessaid，“NowonderpoorSirThomasdiedinafewmonthsafterhismarriage!“
And，ohdearme，ourenemies_are_sometimesright!
“Imustoncemoreremindyou，SirPatrick，thatIhaveseriousreasontodoubtwhetherMissSilvesterisafitcompanionforBlanche。Mygovernesshassomethingonhermind。Shehasfitsofcryinginprivate。Sheisupandwalkingaboutherroomwhensheoughttobeasleep。Shepostsherownletters——_and，_shehaslatelybeenexcessivelyinsolenttoMe。Thereissomethingwrong。
Imusttakesomestepsinthematter——anditisonlyproperthatIshoulddosowithyoursanction，asheadofthefamily。“
“Considermeasabdicatingmyposition，LadyLundie，inyourfavor。“
“SirPatrick，IbegyoutoobservethatIamspeakingseriously，andthatIexpectaseriousreply。“
“Mygoodlady，askmeforanythingelseanditisatyourservice。IhavenotmadeaseriousreplysinceIgaveuppracticeattheScottishBar。Atmyage，“addedSirPatrick，cunninglydriftingintogeneralities，“nothingisserious——exceptIndigestion。Isay，withthephilosopher，’Lifeisacomedytothosewhothink，andtragedytothosewhofeel。’“Hetookhissister-in-law’shand，andkissedit。“DearLadyLundie，whyfeel？“
LadyLundie，whohadnever“felt“inherlife，appearedperverselydeterminedtofeel，onthisoccasion。Shewasoffended——andsheshoweditplainly。
“Whenyouarenextcalledon，SirPatrick，tojudgeofMissSilvester’sconduct，“shesaid，“unlessIamentirelymistaken，youwillfindyourself_compelled_toconsideritassomethingbeyondajoke。“Withthosewords，shewalkedoutofthesummer-house——andsoforwardedArnold’sinterestsbyleavingBlanche’sguardianaloneatlast。
Itwasanexcellentopportunity。Theguestsweresafeinthehouse——therewasnointerruptiontobefeared，Arnoldshowedhimself。SirPatrickperfectlyundisturbedbyLadyLundie’spartingspeechsatdowninthesummer-house，withoutnoticinghisyoungfriend，andaskedhimselfaquestionfoundedonprofoundobservationofthefemalesex。“Werethereevertwowomenyetwithaquarrelbetweenthem，“thoughttheoldgentleman，“whodidn’twanttodragamanintoit？Letthemdrag_me_in，iftheycan!“
Arnoldadvancedastep，andmodestlyannouncedhimself。“IhopeI
amnotintheway，SirPatrick？“
“Intheway？ofcoursenot!Blessmysoul，howserioustheboylooks!Are_you_goingtoappealtomeastheheadofthefamilynext？“
ItwasexactlywhatArnoldwasabouttodo。ButitwasplainthatifheadmitteditjustthenSirPatrickforsomeunintelligiblereasonwoulddeclinetolistentohim。Heansweredcautiously，“Iaskedleavetoconsultyouinprivate，Sir；andyoukindlysaidyouwouldgivemetheopportunitybeforeIleftW
indygates？“
“Ay!ay!tobesure。Iremember。Wewerebothengagedintheseriousbusinessofcroquetatthetime——anditwasdoubtfulwhichofusdidthatbusinessmostclumsily。Well，hereistheopportunity；andhereamI，withallmyworldlyexperience，atyourservice。Ihaveonlyonecautiontogiveyou。Don’tappealtomeas’theheadofthefamily。’MyresignationisinLadyLundie’shands。“
Hewas，asusual，halfinjest，halfinearnest。Thewrytwistofhumorshoweditselfatthecornersofhislips。ArnoldwasatalosshowtoapproachSirPatrickonthesubjectofhisniecewithoutremindinghimofhisdomesticresponsibilitiesontheonehand，andwithoutsettinghimselfupasatargetfortheshaftsofSirPatrick’switontheother。Inthisdifficulty，hecommittedamistakeattheoutset。Hehesitated。
“Don’thurryyourself，“saidSirPatrick。“Collectyourideas。I
canwait!Icanwait!“
Arnoldcollectedhisideas——andcommittedasecondmistake。Hedeterminedonfeelinghiswaycautiouslyatfirst。Underthecircumstancesandwithsuchamanashehadnowtodealwith，itwasperhapstherashestresolutionatwhichhecouldpossiblyhavearrived——itwasthemouseattemptingtooutmanoeuvrethecat“Youhavebeenverykind，Sir，inofferingmethebenefitofyourexperience，“hebegan。“Iwantawordofadvice。“
“Supposeyoutakeitsitting？“suggestedSirPatrick。“Getachair。“HissharpeyesfollowedArnoldwithanexpressionofmaliciousenjoyment。“Wantsmyadvice？“hethought。“Theyounghumbugwantsnothingofthesort——hewantsmyniece。“
ArnoldsatdownunderSirPatrick’seye，withawell-foundedsuspicionthathewasdestinedtosuffer，beforehegotupagain，underSirPatrick’stongue。