“Nothing!  I should regret nothing.  I don’t want carriages, or horses, or luxuries.  I could live with you on a subaltern’s pay.  I can’t marry you, Percy, and for the very reason which would make me wish to marry you.”

“Charade?” said he; and the contempt of the utterance brought her head close under his.

“Dearest friend, you have not to learn how to punish me.”

The little reproach, added to the wound to his pride, required a healing medicament; she put her lips to his fingers.

Assuredly the comedy would not have ended there, but it was stopped by an intrusion of the squire, followed by Sir William, who, while the squire—­ full of wine and vindictive humours—­went on humming, “Ah! h’m—­m—­m!  Soh!” said in the doorway to some one behind him:  “And if you have lost your key, and Algernon is away, of what use is it to drive down to the Temple for a bed?  I make it an especial request that you sleep here tonight.  I wish it.  I have to speak with you.”

Mrs. Lovell was informed that the baronet had been addressing his son, who was fresh from Paris, and not, in his own modest opinion, presentable before a lady.

CHAPTER XXXIII

Once more Farmer Fleming and Rhoda prepared for their melancholy journey up to London.  A light cart was at the gateway, near which Robert stood with the farmer, who, in his stiff brown overcoat, that reached to his ankles, and broad country-hat, kept his posture of dumb expectation like a stalled ox, and nodded to Robert’s remarks on the care which the garden had been receiving latterly, the many roses clean in bud, and the trim blue and white and red garden beds.  Every word was a blow to him; but he took it, as well as Rhoda’s apparent dilatoriness, among the things to be submitted to by a man cut away by the roots from the home of his labour and old associations.  Above his bowed head there was a board proclaiming that Queen Anne’s Farm, and all belonging thereunto, was for sale.  His prospect in the vague wilderness of the future, was to seek for acceptance as a common labourer on some kind gentleman’s property.  The phrase “kind gentleman” was adopted by his deliberate irony of the fate which cast him out.  Robert was stamping fretfully for Rhoda to come.  At times, Mrs. Sumfit showed her head from the window of her bed-room, crying, “D’rectly!” and disappearing.

The still aspect of the house on the shining May afternoon was otherwise undisturbed.  Besides Rhoda, Master Gammon was being waited for; on whom would devolve the driving of the cart back from the station.  Robert heaped his vexed exclamations upon this old man.  The farmer restrained his voice in Master Gammon’s defence, thinking of the comparison he could make between him and Robert:  for Master Gammon had never run away from the farm and kept absent, leaving it to take care of itself.  Gammon, slow as he might be, was faithful, and it was not he who had made it necessary for the farm to be sold.  Gammon was obstinate, but it was not he who, after taking a lead, and making the farm dependent on his lead, had absconded with the brains and energy of the establishment.  Such reflections passed through the farmer’s mind.