Harry never said how much of his own funds from Boola Boola had supplemented Eustace’s outlay; he did not even say how much better it was to be a good landlord than a man about town; all he did was to growl forth to his spoilt child, “There’ll be more forthcoming next year.”

Eustace protested that he did not believe it, and Harold replied, “No legacy duty—­no stock to purchase—­Hydriots’ dividend—­”

It did not check the murmur, and Eustace sulked all the rest of the day; indeed, this has always seemed to me to have been the first little rift in his adherence to his cousin, but at that time his dependence was so absolute, and his power of separate action so small, that he submitted to the decree even while he grumbled; and when he found that Lord Erymanth viewed it as very undesirable for a young man to come up to London without either home or business, or political views, took to himself great credit for the wise decision.

Indeed, Lord Erymanth did invite us all for a fortnight to his great old mansion in Piccadilly to see the Exhibition, and, as he solemnly told me, “to observe enough of our institutions as may prepare my young friends for future life.”  Even Dora was asked, by special entreaty from Viola, who undertook to look after her—­rather too boldly, considering that Di—­i.e.  Mrs. Enderby—­was mistress of Viola’s movements, and did not leave her much time to waste upon us.

In fact, Mrs. Enderby, though perfectly civil, was evidently hostile to us, and tried to keep her sister out of our way as much as she could, thickening engagements upon her, at which Viola made all the comical murmurs her Irish blood could prompt, but of course in vain.  Eustace’s great ambition was to follow her to her parties, and Lady Diana favoured him when she could; but Harold would have nothing to do with such penances.  He never missed a chance of seeing Viola come down attired for them, but, as he once said, “that was enough for him.”  He did not want to see her handed about and grimaced at by a lot of fine gentlemen who did not seem to think anything worth the trouble; and as to the crowd and the stifling, they made him feel ready to strike out and knock everyone down.

So much Eustace and I elicited in short sentences one day, when we were rather foolishly urging on him to let himself be taken with us to an evening party.  No, he went his own way and took Dora with him, and I was quite sure that they were safe together, and that after his year’s experience he was to be trusted to know where it was fitting to take her.  They saw a good deal that was more entertaining than we could venture on; and, moreover, Harold improved his mind considerably in the matters of pottery, porcelain, and model lodging-houses.