Drummond returned laughing to the side of Mrs. Evremonde, nearing whom, the Countess, while one ear was being filled by Harry’s eulogy of her brother’s recent handling of Laxley, and while her intense gratification at the success of her patient management of her most difficult subject made her smiles no mask, heard, ’Is it not impossible to suppose such a thing?’ A hush ensued—­the Countess passed.

In the afternoon, the Jocelyns, William Harvey, and Drummond met together to consult about arranging the dispute; and deputations went to Laxley and to Evan.  The former demanded an apology for certain expressions that day; and an equivalent to an admission that Mr. Harrington had said, in Fallow field, that he was not a gentleman, in order to escape the consequences.  All the Jocelyns laughed at his tenacity, and ‘gentleman’ began to be bandied about in ridicule of the arrogant lean-headed adolescent.  Evan was placable enough, but dogged; he declined to make any admission, though within himself he admitted that his antagonist was not in the position of an impostor; which he for one honest word among them would be exposed as being, and which a simple exercise of resolution to fly the place would save him from being further.

Lady Jocelyn enjoyed the fun, and still more the serious way in which her relatives regarded it.

‘This comes of Rose having friends, Emily,’ said Mrs. Shorne.

There would have been a dispute to arrange between Lady Jocelyn and Mrs. Shorne, had not her ladyship been so firmly established in her phlegmatic philosophy.  She said:  ’Quelle enfantillage!  I dare say Rose was at the bottom of it:  she can settle it best.  Defer the encounter between the boys until they see they are in the form of donkeys.  They will; and then they’ll run on together, as long as their goddess permits.’

‘Indeed, Emily,’ said Mrs. Shorne, ’I desire you, by all possible means, to keep the occurrence secret from Rose.  She ought not to hear of it.’

‘No; I dare say she ought not,’ returned Lady Jocelyn; ’but I wager you she does.  You can teach her to pretend not to, if you like.  Ecce signum.’

Her ladyship pointed through the library window at Rose, who was walking with Laxley, and showing him her pearly teeth in return for one of his jokes:  an exchange so manifestly unfair, that Lady Jocelyn’s womanhood, indifferent as she was, could not but feel that Rose had an object in view; which was true, for she was flattering Laxley into a consent to meet Evan half way.

The ladies murmured and hummed of these proceedings, and of Rose’s familiarity with Mr. Harrington; and the Countess in trepidation took Evan to herself, and spoke to him seriously; a thing she had not done since her residence in Beckley.  She let him see that he must be on a friendly footing with everybody in the house, or go which latter alternative Evan told her he had decided on.  ‘Yes,’ said the Countess, ’and then you give people full warrant to say it was jealousy drove you hence; and you do but extinguish yourself to implicate dear Rose.  In love, Evan, when you run away, you don’t live to fight another day.’