The excuse of custom, pleaded by Mrs. Poynsett, only made Rosamond fiercer.  She wished she had never come where she was to hear that her own mother was no judge of propriety, and her husband could not trust her, but must needs run about asking everybody if she were fit to be seen.  Such a tempest Julius had never seen outside a back street in the garrison town.  There seemed to be nothing she would not say, and his attempts at soothing only added to her violence.  Indeed, there was only one thing which would have satisfied her, and that was, that she had been perfectly right, and the whole world barbarously wrong; and she was wild with passion at perceiving that he had a confidence in his own mother which he could not feel in hers.

Nor would he insist that Raymond should force Cecil to apologize.  “My dear,” he said, “don’t you know there are things easier to ask than to obtain?”

To which Rosamond replied, in another gust, that she would never again sit down to table with Cecil until she had apologized for the insult, not to herself, she did not care about that, but to the mother who had seen her dresses tried on:  Julius must tell Raymond so, or take her away to any cottage at once.  She would not stay where people blamed mamma and poisoned his mind against her!  She believed he cared for them more than for her!

Julius had sympathized far longer with her offended feeling than another could have done; but he was driven to assert himself.  “Nonsense, Rose, you know better,” he said, in a voice of displeasure; but she pouted forth, “I don’t know it.  You believe every one against me, and you won’t take my part against that nasty little spiteful prig!”

“Cecil has behaved very ill to you,” said Julius, granting her rather over much; “but she is a foolish conceited child, who does not deserve that Raymond should be worried about her.  I foresee plenty of grievances from her; but, Rosie, we must and will not let her come between us and Raymond.  You don’t know what a brother he has been to me—­I hardly think I could have got through my first year at school but for him; and I don’t think my sweet Rose could wish to do me such an ill turn as to stir up a feud with such a brother because his wife is provoking.”

The luncheon-bell began to sound, and she sobbed out, “There then, go down, leave me alone!  Go to them, since you are so fond of them all!”

“I don’t think you could come down as you are,” said Julius, gravely; “I will bring you something.”

“It would choke me—­choke me!” she sobbed out.

Julius knew enough of the De Lancy temperament to be aware that words carried them a long way, and he thought solitude would be so beneficial, that he summoned resolution to leave her; but he had not the face to appear alone, nor offer fictions to excuse her absence, so he took refuge in his dressing-room, until he had seen Cecil and Anne ride away from the hall door together.