‘You undervalue Lord Feltre.  You avoid your adversaries,’ Fleetwood now rebuked his hearer.  ’It ’s an easy way to have the pull of them in your own mind.  You might learn from him.  He’s willing for controversy.  Nature-worship—­or “aboriginal genuflexion,” he calls it; Anglicanism, Methodism; he stands to engage them.  It can’t be doubted, that in days of trouble he has a faith “stout as a rock, with an oracle in it,” as he says; and he’s right,” men who go into battle require a rock to back them or a staff to lean on.”  You have your “secret,” you think; as far as I can see, it’s to keep you from going into any form of battle.’

The new influence at work on the young nobleman was evident, if only in the language used.

Gower answered mildly:  ’That can hardly be said of a man who’s going to marry.’

‘Perhaps not.  Lady Fleetwood is aware?’

‘Lady Fleetwood does me the honour to approve my choice.’

‘You mean, you’re dead on to it with this girl?’

‘For a year or more.’

‘Fond of her?’

‘All my heart.’

‘In love!’

’Yes, in love.  The proof of it is, I ’ve asked her now I can support her as a cottager leaning on the Three Per Cents.’

’Well, it helps you to a human kind of talk.  It carries out your theories.  I never disbelieved in your honesty.  The wisdom’s another matter.  Did you ever tell any one, that there’s not an act of a man’s life lies dead behind him, but it is blessing or cursing him every step he takes?’

‘By that,’ rejoined Gower, ’I can say Lord Feltre proves there’s wisdom in the truisms of devoutness.’

He thought the Catholic lord had gone a step or two to catch an eel.

Fleetwood was looking on the backward of his days, beholding a melancholy sunset, with a grimace in it.

’Lord Feltre might show you the “leanness of Philosophy";—­you would learn from hearing him:—­“an old gnawed bone for the dog that chooses to be no better than a dog."’

‘The vertiginous roast haunch is recommended,’ Gower said.

’See a higher than your own head, good sir.  But, hang the man! he manages to hit on the thing he wants.’  Fleetwood set his face at Gower with cutting heartiness.  ’In love, you say, and Madge:  and mean it to be the holy business!  Well, poor old Chummy always gave you credit for knowing how to play your game.  She has given proof she ’s a good girl.  I don’t see why it shouldn’t end well.  That attack on the Welshman’s the bad lookout.  Explained, if you like, but women’s impressions won’t get explained away.  We must down on our knees or they.  Her ladyship attentive at all to affairs of the house?’

‘Every day with Queeney; at intervals with Leddings.’

’Excellent!  You speak like a fellow recording the devout observances of a great dame with her minor and superior, ecclesiastical comforters.  Regular at church?’