in that way, my fine young gentleman:
you'll not get sugar-plums from Temperance Murthwaite when you need
rhubarb."

"I know that, Aunt Temperance," said Aubrey, trying to laugh.

"And you may as well open your mouth and take your physic with a good
grace. If not, there'll be another dose to follow."

"What?" demanded Aubrey with drawn brows, and a flash in his eyes.

"`Three can keep a secret if twain be away,'" was the enigmatical
answer. "Now then, answer Lady Lettice."

"He has no mind to promise--that can I see," said Lady Louvaine,
sorrowfully.

"He shall, afore he go," was the cool reply of Temperance.

"Aunt Temperance, I am not a babe!" exclaimed Aubrey rather angrily.

"That you are, and in sore need of leading-strings."

"Aubrey here?" asked his mother, coming in. "Well now, I do think one
of you might have told me. But you never think of me. Why, Aubrey, it
must be six months since we saw you!"

"Four, Mother, under your pleasure."

"I am sure 'tis six. Why come you no oftener?"

"I have my duties," said Aubrey in a rather constrained voice.

"Closer than to thy mother, my boy?" asked Edith softly.

"Prithee harry not him," retorted Aunt Temperance. "Hast thou not
heard, he hath his duties? To hold skeins of silk whilst my Lady winds
them, maybe, and to ride the great horse, and play tennis and
shuttlecock with his Lord, and to make up his mind to which of all his
Lady's damsels he'll make love o' the lightest make."

"Aubrey, I do hope you are ne'er thinking of marriage!" said his
mother's querulous voice. "Thou shouldst be put out of thine office,
most like, and not a penny to keep her, and she saddled upon us that--"

"That'll kick and throw her, as like as not," said Aunt Temperance by
way of interjection.

"I ensure you, Mother, I have no expectations of the kind. 'Tis but
Aunt Temperance that--that--"

"That sometimes hits the white, Sir, if she do now and then shoot aside
o' the mark. Howbeit, hold thou there. And if thou want leave to carry
on thine acquaintance with these gentlemen, bring them to see us. I'll
lay mine head to an orange I see in ten minutes if they be true men or
no."

"What business have they?" asked Edith.

Aubrey hesitated. He knew of none except Garnet's pretended profession
of horse-dealing.

"Is there any woman amongst them?" said Temperance.

"I never saw one."

"Not even at Mr Percy's house?"

"I went there but once, to ask for him