He stepped at slow march to one of the five windows.  Lady Charlotte went to another near by.  She called to Weyburn—­

’We had a regatta on that water when Lord Ormont came of age.  I took an oar in one of the boats, and we won a prize; and when I was landing I didn’t stride enough to the spring-plank, and plumped in.’

Some labourers of the estate passed in front.

Lord Ormont gave out a broken laugh.  ’See those fellows walk!  That ’s the raw material of the famous English infantry.  They bend their knees five-and-forty degrees for every stride; and when you drill them out of that, they ’re stiff as ramrods.  I gymnasticized them in my regiment.  I’d have challenged any French regiment to out-walk or out-jump us, or any crack Tyrolese Jagers to out-climb, though we were cavalry.’

‘Yes, my lord, and exercised crack corps are wanted with us,’ Weyburn replied.  ’The English authorities are adverse to it, but it ’s against nature—­on the supposition that all Englishmen might enrol untrained in Caesar’s pet legion.  Virgil shows knowledge of men when he says of the row-boat straining in emulation, ‘Possunt quia posse videntur.’’

He talked on rapidly; he wondered that he did not hear Lady Charlotte exclaim at what she must be seeing.  From the nearest avenue a lady had issued.  She stood gazing at the house, erect—­a gallant figure of a woman—­one hand holding her parasol, the other at her hip.  He knew her.  She was a few paces ahead of Mrs. Pagnell, beside whom a gentleman walked.

The cry came:  ’It’s that man Morsfield!  Who brings that man Morsfield here?  He hunted me on the road; he seemed to be on the wrong scent.  Who are those women?  Rowsley, are your grounds open every day of the week?  She threatens to come in!’

Lady Charlotte had noted that the foremost and younger of ‘those women’ understood how to walk and how to dress to her shape and colour.  She inclined to think she was having to do with an intrepid foreign-bred minx.

Aminta had been addressed by one of her companions, and had hastened forward.  It looked like the beginning of a run to enter the house.

Mrs. Pagnell ran after her.  She ran cow-like.

The earl’s gorge rose at the spectacle Charlotte was observing.

With Morsfield he could have settled accounts at any moment, despatching Aminta to her chamber for an hour.  He had, though he was offended, an honourable guess that she had not of her free will travelled with the man and brought him into the grounds.  It was the presence of the intolerable Pagnell under Charlotte’s eyes which irritated him beyond the common anger he felt at Aminta’s pursuit of him right into Steignton.  His mouth locked.  Lady Charlotte needed no speech from him for sign of the boiling; she was too wary to speak while that went on.

He said to Weyburn, loud enough for his Charlotte to heir.  ’Do me the favour to go to the Countess of Ormont.  Conduct her back to London.  You will say it is my command.  Inform Mr. Morsfield, with my compliments, I regret I have no weapons here.  I understand him to complain of having to wait.  I shall be in town three days from this date.’