Taken by surprise, the dowager made no answer.  Lady Margaret looked defiance.

“You and Anne have invited me to your house on a lengthened visit, Lord Hartledon,” continued Laura; “but I promise you that if this is to continue I will not remain in it; I will not witness insult to my early friend; and I will not see children incited to evil passions.  Undress that child, sir,” she sharply added, directing Val’s attention to Reginald, “and you will see bruises on his back and shoulder.  I saw them this morning, and asked the nurse what caused them and was told Lord Elster kicked him.”

“It was the little beggar’s own fault,” interposed Edward, who was standing his ground with equanimity, and seemed to enjoy the scene.

Lady Laura caught him sharply by the arm.  “Of whom are you speaking!  Who’s a little beggar?”

“Regy is.”

“Who taught you to call him one?”

“Grand’ma.”

“There, go away; go away all of you,” cried Lady Laura, turning the two elder ones from the room imperatively, after Anne and her children.  “Oh, so you are going also, Val!  No wonder you are ashamed to stay here.”

He was crossing the room; a curious expression on his drawn lips.  Laura watched him from it; then went and stood before the dowager; her back to her sister.

“Has it ever struck you, Lady Kirton, that you may one day have to account for this?”

“It strikes me that you are making a vast deal of unnecessary noise, Madame Laura!”

“If your daughter could look on, from the other world, at earth and its scenes—­and some hold a theory that such a state of things is not impossible—­what would be her anguish, think you, at the evil you are inculcating in her children?  One of them will very soon be with her—­”

The dowager interrupted with a sort of howl.

“He will; there is no mistaking it.  You who see him constantly may not detect it; but it is evident to a stranger.  Were it not beneath me, I might ask on what grounds you tutor him to call Reginald a beggar, considering that your daughter brought my brother nothing but a few debts; whilst Miss Ashton brought him a large fortune?”

“I wouldn’t condescend to be mean, Laura,” put in Lady Margaret, whilst the dowager fanned her hot face.

They were interrupted by Hedges, showing in visitors.  How much more Lady Laura might have said must remain unknown:  she was in a mood to say a great deal.

“Mr. and Mrs. Graves.”

It was the curate; and the tall, meek woman spoken of by Anne.  Laura laughed as she shook hands with the former; whom she had known when a girl, and been given to ridiculing more than was quite polite.

Lord Hartledon had left the room after his wife.  She sent the children to the nursery; and he found her alone in her chamber sobbing bitterly.

Certainly he was a contradiction.  He fondly took her in his arms, beseeching her to pardon him, if he had unwittingly slighted her, as Laura implied; and his blue eyes were beaming with affection, his voice was low with persuasive tenderness.