The colonel was her devoted squire on the instant for any practical service.  His appeal to his aunt concerning one of the windows was answered by her appeal to Jane’s countenance for a disposition to rise and leave the gentlemen.  Captain Con, holding the door for the passage of his wife and her train of ladies, received the injunction: 

‘Ten,’ from her, and remarked:  ‘Minutes,’ as he shut it.  The shortness of the period of grace proposed dejection to him on the one hand, and on the other a stimulated activity to squeeze it for its juices without any delay.  Winding past Dr. Forbery to the vacated seat of the hostess he frowned forbiddingly.

‘It’s I, is it!’ cried the doctor.  Was it ever he that endangered the peace and placability of social gatherings!  He sat down prepared rather for a bout with Captain Con than with their common opponents, notwithstanding that he had accurately read the mock thunder of his brows.

CHAPTER XIV

OF ROCKNEY

Battles have been won and the streams of History diverted to new channels in the space of ten minutes.  Ladies have been won, a fresh posterity founded, and grand financial schemes devised, revolts arranged, a yoke shaken off, in less of mortal time.  Excepting an inspired Epic song and an original Theory of the Heavens, almost anything noteworthy may be accomplished while old Father Scythe is taking a trot round a courtyard; and those reservations should allow the splendid conception to pass for the performance, when we bring to mind that the conception is the essential part of it, as a bard poorly known to fame was constantly urging.  Captain Con had blown his Epic bubbles, not to speak of his projected tuneful narrative of the adventures of the great Cuchullin, and his Preaching of St. Patrick, and other national triumphs.  He could own, however, that the world had a right to the inspection of the Epic books before it awarded him his crown.  The celestial Theory likewise would have to be worked out to the last figure by the illustrious astronomers to whom he modestly ranked himself second as a benefactor of his kind, revering him.  So that, whatever we may think in our own hearts, Epic and Theory have to remain the exception.  Battles indeed have been fought, but when you survey the field in preparation for them you are summoned to observe the preluding courtesies of civilised warfare in a manner becoming a chivalrous gentleman.  It never was the merely flinging of your leg across a frontier, not even with the abrupt Napoleon.  You have besides to drill your men; and you have often to rouse your foe with a ringing slap, if he’s a sleepy one or shamming sleepiness.  As here, for example:  and that of itself devours more minutes than ten.  Rockney and Mattock could be roused; but these English, slow to kindle, can’t subside in a twinkling; they are for preaching on when they have once begun; betray