’Alice, you’d better be guided by me.  I know a little of the world, and I can help you where you’d make mistakes.  Just keep to yourself for a little, my girl, and get on with your piano and your books.  You can’t do better, believe me.  Never mind whether you’ve any one to see you or not; there’s time enough.  And I’ll tell you another secret.  Before you can tell a gentleman when you see him, you’ll have to teach yourself to be a lady.  Perhaps that isn’t quite so easy as you think.’

‘How am I to learn then?’

’We’ll find a way before long.  Get on with your playing and reading.’

Presently, as they were about to leave the room, the Princess inquired: 

‘Dick, how soon are you going to be married?’

‘I can’t tell you,’ was the answer.  ‘Emma wants to put it off.’

CHAPTER X

The declaration of independence so nobly delivered by his brother ’Arry necessitated Richard’s stay in town over the following day.  The matter was laid before a family council, held after breakfast in the dining-room.  Richard opened the discussion with some vehemence, and appealed to his mother and Alice for support.  Alice responded heartily; Mrs. Mutimer was slower in coming to utterance, but at length expressed herself in no doubtful terms.

‘If he don’t go to his work,’ she said sternly, ’it’s either him or me’ll have to leave this house.  If he wants to disgrace us all and ruin himself, he shan’t do it under my eyes.’

Was there ever a harder case?  A high-spirited British youth asserts his intention of living a life of elegant leisure, and is forthwith scouted as a disgrace to the family.  ’Arry sat under the gross injustice with an air of doggish defiance.

‘I thought you said I was to go to Wanley?’ he exclaimed at length, angrily, glaring at his brother.

Richard avoided the look.

‘You’ll have to learn to behave yourself first,’ he replied.  ’If you can’t be trusted to do your duty here, you’re no good to me at Wanley.’

’Arry would give neither yes nor no.  The council broke up after formulating an ultimatum.

In the afternoon Richard had another private talk with the lad.  This time he addressed himself solely to ’Arry’s self-interest, explained to him the opportunities he would lose if he neglected to make himself a practical man.  What if there was money waiting for him?  The use of money was to breed money, and nowadays no man was rich who didn’t constantly increase his capital.  As a great ironmaster, he would hold a position impossible for him to attain in any other way; he would employ hundreds, perhaps thousands, of men; society would recognise him.  What could he expect to be if he did nothing but loaf about the streets?

This was going the right way to work.  Richard found that he was making an impression, and gradually fell into a kinder tone, so that in the end he brought ’Arry to moderately cheerful acquiescence.