’At Midsummer, then.  You know he will never let Louis spend a long vacation without a tutor.’

‘I hate to be at Ormersfield,’ proceeded James, vehemently, ’to see Fitzjocelyn browbeaten and contradicted every moment, and myself set up for a model.  I may steal a horse, while he may not look over the wall!  Did you observe the inconsistency?—­angry with the poor fellow first for having the book, and then for not reading the whole, while it became amiable and praiseworthy in me to burn out a candle over it!’

’Ah! that was my concern.  I tell him he would sing another note if you were his son.’

’I’d soon make him!  I would not stand what Louis does.  The more he is set down and sneered at, the more debonnaire he looks, till I could rave at him for taking it so easily.’

’I hoped you might have hindered them from fretting each other, as they do so often.’

’I should only be a fresh element of discord, while his lordship will persist in making me his pattern young man.  It makes me hate myself, especially as Louis is such an unaccountable fellow that he won’t.’

‘I am sorry you dislike the plan so much.’

’Do you mean that you wish for it, grandmamma? cried he, turning full round on her with an air of extreme amazement.  ’If you do, there’s an end of it; but I thought you valued nothing more than an independent home.’

‘Nor would I give it up on any account,’ said she.  ’I do not imagine this could possibly last for more than a few months, or a year at the utmost.  But you know, dear Jem, I would do nothing you did not like.’

‘That’s nothing to the purpose,’ replied James.  ’Though it is to be considered whether Ormersfield is likely to be the best preparation for Clara’s future life.  However, I see you wish it—­’

’I confess that I do, for a few months at least, which need interfere neither with Clara nor with you.  I have not seen Lord Ormersfield so eager for many years, and I should be very sorry to prevent those two from being comfortably together in the old home—­’

‘And can’t that be without a chaperon?’ exclaimed James, laughing.  ’Why, his lordship is fifty-five, and she can’t be much less.  That is a good joke.’

‘It is not punctilio,’ said his grandmother, looking distressed.  ’It is needful to be on the safe side with such a man as Mr. Ponsonby.  My fear is that he may send her home with orders not to come near us.’

‘She used to be always at Ormersfield in the old times.’

’Yes, when my sister was alive.  Ah! you were too young to know about those matters then.  The fact was, that things had come to such a pass from Mr. Ponsonby’s neglect and unkindness, that Lord Ormersfield, standing in the place of her brother, thought it right to interfere.  His mother went to London with him, to bring poor Mary and her little girl back to Ormersfield, and there they were till