‘Intolerably impertinent!  I hope you set him down!’

’I told him that neither Mr. Frost nor I should wish him to pretermit his duty on any consideration whatever.  Then he harked back to what he did for us at the election; and I was forced to tell him that if he considered that he had thereby established a claim on me, I must own myself in his debt; but as to reciprocating it, by putting in a person like Grant, that was against my conscience.  He flew into a passion, informed me that Mr. Frost would take the consequences, mounted the British Lion, and I bowed him out upon that majestic quadruped, talking grandly of illiberal prejudices and the rising generation.’

‘You acknowledged that he had a claim on you?’

‘As things go in this world, I suppose it is true.’

‘Louis! you will never know how to deal with those people.’

’I am afraid not.  I could not, either boldly or diplomatically, get rid of the charge; so there was nothing for it but to confess.  That’s not the worst of it.  I am afraid he really will be able to take revenge on poor Jem, and I’m sure he can’t afford to lose any more scholars.’

’Such a fellow as that will not have much in his power against James,’ said Lord Ormersfield.  ’What I am afraid of is, that you have cut the ground from under your feet.  I cannot see how you are ever to stand for Northwold.’

‘Nor I,’ said Louis.  ’In fact, father, I have always thought it most wonderfully kind forbearance that you never reproached me more for my doings on that occasion.  I believe we were all too happy,’ he presently added, with a sigh, which was re-echoed by his father, at the same time trying to say something about youthfulness, to which Louis, who had been leaning thoughtfully on the mantelpiece, presently answered—­’How much wiser old people are than young!  An original axiom, is not it? but it is the last which one learns!’

‘You would hardly act in the same way now?’ said his father.

’I wonder when it ever answers to interfere with the natural course of events!’ responded Louis, musingly.  ’There were two things that Mr. Calcott told me once upon a time.’  Those two things he left unuttered.  They were—­that the gentleman would be wasted on the school, and that the lady was not made for a poor man’s wife.  No wonder they made him sigh, but he concluded by exclaiming aloud—­ ’Well, I hope they will both go to Estminster, and come back with fresh life!’

The Estminster invitation was already on the road; but, unfortunately, Lady Conway had been unable to secure lodgings large enough to receive the children.  She was urgent, however, that Isabel should come as soon as possible, since Louisa had been more unwell than usual, and was pining for her eldest sister; and she hoped that James would join her there as soon as the holidays should set him free.