‘John!’ screamed Mrs. Cadurcis, in a voice of bewildered passion, and stamping with rage, ’is that the place for my cap-box?  You do it on purpose, that you do!’

‘John,’ mimicked Lord Cadurcis, ‘how dare you do it on purpose?’

‘Take that, you brat,’ shrieked the mother, and she struck her own hand against the doorway.  ‘Oh!  I’ll give it you, I’ll give it you,’ she bellowed under the united influence of rage and pain, and she pursued her agile child, who dodged her on the other side of the postchaise, which he persisted in calling the family carriage.

‘Oh! ma’am, my lady,’ exclaimed the waiting-woman, sallying forth from the abbey, ’what is to be done with the parrot when we are away?  Mrs. Brown says she won’t see to it, that she won’t; ‘taynt her place.’

This rebellion of Mrs. Brown was a diversion in favour of Plantagenet.  Mrs. Cadurcis waddled down the cloisters with precipitation, rushed into the kitchen, seized the surprised Mrs. Brown by the shoulder, and gave her a good shake; and darting at the cage, which held the parrot, she bore it in triumph to the carriage.  ’I will take the bird with me,’ said Mrs. Cadurcis.

‘We cannot take the bird inside, madam,’ said Plantagenet, ’for it will overhear all our conversation, and repeat it.  We shall not be able to abuse our friends.’

Mrs. Cadurcis threw the cage at her son’s head, who, for the sake of the bird, dexterously caught it, but declared at the same time he would immediately throw it into the lake.  Then Mrs. Cadurcis began to cry with rage, and, seating herself on the open steps of the chaise, sobbed hysterically.  Plantagenet stole round on tip-toe, and peeped in her face:  ‘A merry Christmas and a happy new year, Mrs. Cadurcis,’ said her son.

‘How can I be merry and happy, treated as I am?’ sobbed the mother.  ’You do not treat Lady Annabel so.  Oh! no; it is only your mother whom you use in this manner!  Go to Cherbury.  Go by all means, but go by yourself; I shall not go:  go to your friends, Lord Cadurcis; they are your friends, not mine, and I hope they are satisfied, now that they have robbed me of the affections of my child.  I have seen what they have been after all this time.  I am not so blind as some people think.  No!  I see how it is.  I am nobody.  Your poor mother, who brought you up, and educated you, is nobody.  This is the end of all your Latin and French, and your fine lessons.  Honour your father and your mother, Lord Cadurcis; that’s a finer lesson than all.  Oh! oh! oh!’

This allusion to the Herberts suddenly calmed Plantagenet.  He felt in an instant the injudiciousness of fostering by his conduct the latent jealousy which always lurked at the bottom of his mother’s heart, and which nothing but the united talent and goodness of Lady Annabel could have hitherto baffled.  So he rejoined in a kind yet playful tone, ’If you will be good, I will give you a kiss for a Christmas-box, mother; and the parrot shall go inside if you like.’