’You ’re to teach Latin and Greek, you said.  For you ’re right:  we English can’t understand the words we ’re speaking, if we don’t know a good deal of Latin and some Greek.  “Conversing in tokens, not standard coin,” you said, I remember; and there’ll be a “general rabble tongue,” unless we English are drilled in the languages we filched from.  Lots of lords and ladies want the drilling, then!  I’ll send some over to you for Swiss air and roots of the English tongue.  Oh, and you told me you supported Lord Ormont on his pet argument for corps d’elite; and you quoted Virgil to back it.  Let me have that line again—­in case of his condescending to write to the papers on the subject.’

Weyburn repeated the half-line.

’Good:  I won’t forget now.  And you said the French act on that because they follow human nature, and the English don’t.  We “bully it,” you said.  That was on our drive down to Steignton.  I hope you ’ll succeed.  You ’ll be visiting England.  Call on me in London or at Olmer—­only mind and give me warning.  I shall be glad to see you.  I ’ve got some ideas from you.  If I meet a man who helps me to read the world and men as they are, I ’m grateful to him; and most people are not, you ’ll find.  They want you to show them what they ’d like the world to be.  We don’t agree about a lady.  You ’re in the lists, lance in rest, all for chivalry.  You ’re a man, and a young man.  Have you taken your leave of her yet?  She’ll expect it, as a proper compliment.’

‘I propose running down to take my leave of Lady Ormont to-morrow,’ replied Weyburn.

‘She is handsome?’

She is very handsome.’

‘Beautiful, do you mean?’

‘Oh, my lady, it would only be a man’s notion!’

’Now, that ’s as good an answer as could be made!  You ’re sure to succeed.  I ’m not the woman’s enemy.  But let her keep her place.  Why, Rowsley can’t be coming to-day!  Did Lord Ormont look ill?’

‘It did not strike me so.’

’He ’s between two fires.  A man gets fretted.  But I shan’t move a step.  I dare say she won’t.  Especially with that Morsfield out of the way.  You do mean you think her a beauty.  Well, then, there’ll soon be a successor to Morsfield.  Beauties will have their weapons, and they can hit on plenty; and it ‘s nothing to me, as long as I save my brother from their arts.’

Weyburn felt he had done his penance in return for kindness.  He bowed and rose, Lady Charlotte stretched out her hand.

‘We shall be sending you a pupil some day,’ she said, and smiled.

’Forward your address as soon as you ‘re settled.’  Her face gave a glimpse of its youth in a cordial farewell smile.

Lord Ormont had no capacity to do the like, although they were strictly brother and sister in appearance.  The smallest difference in character rendered her complex and kept him simple.  She had a thirsting mind.

Weyburn fancied that a close intimacy of a few months would have enabled him to lift her out of her smirching and depraving mean jealousies.  He speculated, as he trod the street, on little plots and surprises, which would bring Lady Charlotte and Lady Ormont into presence, and end by making friends of them.  Supposing that could be done, Lady Ormont might be righted by the intervention of Lady Charlotte after all.