Lady Charlotte was at home.

’Always at home to you, Rowsley, at any hour.  Mr. Eglett has driven down to the City.  There ’s a doctor in a square there’s got a reputation for treating weak children, and he has taken down your grand-nephew Bobby to be inspected.  Poor boy comes of a poor stock on the father’s side.  Mr. Eglett would have that marriage.  Now he sees wealth isn’t everything.  Those Benlews are rushlights.  However, Elizabeth stood with her father to have Robert Benlew, and this poor child ’s the result.  I wonder whether they have consciences!’

My lord prolonged the sibilation of his ‘Yes,’ in the way of absent-minded men.  He liked little Bobby, but had to class the boy second for the present.

‘You have our family jewels in your keeping, Charlotte?’

‘No, I haven’t,—­and you know I haven’t, Rowsley.’  She sprang to arms, the perfect porcupine, at his opening words, as he had anticipated.

‘Where are the jewels?’

’They’re in the cellars of my bankers, and safe there, you may rely on it.’

‘I want them.’

‘I want to have them safe; and there they stop.’

‘You must get them and hand them over.’

‘To whom?’

‘To me.’

‘What for?’

‘They will be worn by the Countess of Ormont’

’Who ‘s she?’

‘The lady who bears the title.’

’The only Countess of Ormont I know of is your mother and mine, Rowsley; and she’s dead.’

‘The Countess of Ormont I speak of is alive.’

Lady Charlotte squared to him.  ‘Who gives her the title?’

‘She bears it by right.’

’Do you mean to say, Rowsley, you have gone and married the woman since we came up from Steignton?’

‘She is my wife.’

‘Anyhow, she won’t have our family jewels.’

‘If you had swallowed them, you’d have to disgorge.’

‘I don’t give up our family jewels to such people.’

‘Do you decline to call on her?’

‘I do:  I respect our name and blood.’

’You will send the order to your bankers for them to deliver the jewels over to me at my house this day.’

’Look here, Rowsley; you’re gone cracked or senile.  You ’re in the hands of one of those clever wenches who catch men of your age.  She may catch you; she shan’t lay hold of our family jewels:  they stand for the honour of our name and blood.’

‘They are to be at my house-door at four o’clock this afternoon.’

‘They’ll not stir.’

‘Then I go down to order your bankers and give them the order.’

‘My bankers won’t attend to it without the order from me.’

‘You will submit to the summons of my lawyers.’

‘You’re bent on a public scandal, are you?’

‘I am bent on having the jewels.’

’They are not yours; you ’ve no claim to them; they are heirlooms in our family.  Things most sacred to us are attached to them.  They belong to our history.  There ’s the tiara worn by the first Countess of Ormont.  There ’s the big emerald of the necklace-pendant—­you know the story of it.  Two rubies not counted second to any in England.  All those diamonds!  I wore the cross and the two pins the day I was presented after my marriage.’