"I have heard no harm of Mr Melton, mamma," said Maude. "He--" She checked herself on the point of saying, "He told me he was going."

"But a gambler, my child--a gambler."

"Who pockets sixpenny lives at pool when he isn't losing," said Tom--"a wretch, a demon. Vot a larks!"

"Good game, pool, when your hand is steady. Yes, my boy, yes," said his lordship, who was now rapidly calming down, and looking frightened.

"Thank heaven," cried her ladyship, in tragic tones, "civilisation has introduced the private inquirer. I know all now, and my course is clear."

"Know all, eh?" said Tom, "Why, mamma, you've had a splendid pen'orth.

All that about Charley Melton, and the private information about the governor chucked in."

"'Chucked!'" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed her ladyship, in tones which sounded as if she were forming an enormous "poster" for a h.o.a.rding. "'Chucked!' And this is my expensively-educated son. Justine, help me to my room."

"Funnee lil mans," said Justine to herself as Tom gave her a peculiar look.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN.

MUSIC HATH CHARMS.

The private inquiry trouble was cooling down, but there was so much excitement and trouble at Portland Place, that Maude's hair had to go untended on one occasion, and Monsieur Hector and his a.s.sistant waited in vain for the lady's coming. Short as was the distance, Mademoiselle Justine was unable to run round and say that they need not wait.

For Sir Grantley Wilters was to dine in Portland Place that evening, and he arrived in good time.

The baronet was quite bright in spirits and youthful in appearance, having got the better of his late ailment, and Lady Barmouth smiled pensively at him when she was not watching Lord Barmouth, and seeing if he was surrept.i.tiously supplied with wine.

Tom dined at home, and was morosely civil, being puzzled how to act towards his future brother-in-law.

Sir Grantley knew of the trouble between her ladyship and her lord, but religiously avoided all allusion thereto; he, however, found time and opportunity to mention to her ladyship the last scandal that he had heard concerning Melton.

"No?" exclaimed her ladyship, laying her plump hand upon his arm.

"Yas; fact, I a.s.sure you," he said. "I had it from three fellows at the club, and they were present. It was at a place in Jermyn street."

"How dreadful!" exclaimed her ladyship in a low tone.

"They are retailing scandal about poor old Charley, Maude," said Tom, leaning over the back of her chair in the drawing-room. "You think he's quite square, eh?"

"If you mean by that, Tom, that I think him an honourable gentleman; yes, I do," said Maude quietly.

"That's right. He's fond enough of you to keep him right, so never you mind what scraggy Wilters says."

Maude did not reply, but her face flushed, and she sat looking proud and content in her faith.

Meantime her ladyship had been furnished with the last new piece of gossip regarding the young man who had gone to the bad, and was supremely happy.

In spite of her ladyship's watchfulness Tom managed that his father should have a little wine, and the consequence was that he became very garrulous, making some personal remarks to Sir Grantley about matters of the past which the baronet wished to be considered too youthful to remember, and suffering at last from such decided twinges of his old complaint that he had to leave the table. Maude at once seized the excuse to be freed for the rest of the evening from a presence she detested, and went to attend upon her father, while Tom started to have a quiet cigar and a game of billiards, leaving her ladyship and Sir Grantley together to discuss a few more of the preliminaries of the wedding; Sir Grantley going so far, when he left, as to say that this was about the pleasantest evening he had had at the house in Portland Place, "don't you know."

But those below stairs were not above talking at dinner and supper in the servants' hall, while Mademoiselle Justine sat like a smiling sphinx and listened, but said nothing.

"For my part," said Robbins, "I think her young ladyship bears it admirably, as a well-bred lady should. She's getting to know that people in the upper cla.s.ses can't marry as they like, and behaving quite right."

"Ah, poor girl," said Mrs Downes; "but under that there quiet look who knows what a volcano is a-busting in her breast. Ah, I have a heart of my own."

"It seems to me," said Dolly Preen, who during the past few weeks had been growing thin and acid consequent upon slighted love, much banter, the threatened loss of her situation, and genuine feminine jealousy of Justine, who had been intrusted with the task of accompanying her young mistress in her walks--"it seems to me that Lady Maude is finding consolation somewhere."

Justine, who had been sitting _so_ sphinx-like, suddenly flashed into life.

"You--you lil _bebe_ of a girl, say what you mean," she cried angrily.

"I was not talking of her ladyship, ma'amselle," retorted Dolly, who had aptly picked up the London ways of her fellows. "It only seemed to me that Lady Maude had taken to liking music very much."

"Ah, yes!" said Robbins. "Miss Preen is right there."

"Some people found fault with me for liking to listen to the organ,"

said Dolly, spitefully, "but n.o.body says nothing about my betters."

"Lil _bebe_!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Justine scornfully.

"Not quite such a little baby as you think for, ma'amselle," retorted Dolly, tossing her head. "I'm not blind."

"But you are lil miserable," said Justine, scornfully. "What can you see, pray say?"

"Lady Maude giving money to that Italian musician, and listening to him very often from the balcony."

"Ah," said Mrs Downes, "but it's different there, Miss Preen. Some one I know used to look out of the window at the man, Lady Maude looks out to console herself with the music, and you knows music _hath_ charms."

"See how right is Madame Downes," said Justine, smiling and nodding.

"My faith, Dolly Preen, but how you are _bete_."

"I don't know French," said Dolly, rising, "but I did look in Lady Maude's dictionary to see what that word meant, and I won't sit here to be called a beast by a foreigner, so there."

"Lil _bebe_," said Justine, as Dolly moved toward the door.

"One moment, Miss Preen," said the butler, speaking in an elderly, paternal tone. "Just you take my advice."

"I don't want anybody's advice, Mr Robbins," said the girl with asperity.

"Yes, you do, my dear, and what I wanted to say was, don't you talk so free. You've had one narrow escape of losing a good situation through looking weak on Italian lazy ronies, don't go and run another risk by hinting as a young lady of the highest aristocracy is giving her attention to such a thing as a black-bearded, plaster image selling man who grinds tunes in a box, because if you do you'll find yourself wrong."

"Thank you, Mr Robbins," said Dolly, tartly. "I only know what I see, and I'm not afraid to speak my mind, whatever other people may be. I'm English, I am, and not French, and if I am from the country, as I said before, I'm not blind."

Exit Miss Dolly Preen as Justine exclaimed once more, "Lil _bebe_," and became so sphinx-like that she appeared deep as a knowledge mine.

"Well, such things have happened," said Mrs Downes, sighing.

"Mrs Downes, don't make me blush for you," said the butler, sternly.