season in London, was presented by Lord
Erymanth, went to a court ball, showed his horses in the Park, lived at
a club, and went to Ascot and Epsom. He fulfilled Harold's boast that
he might be trusted not to get into mischief, for he really had no
taste for vice, and when left to himself had the suspicious dislike to
spending money which is so often found where the intellect is below the
average. Vanity and self-consequence were the poor fellow's leading
foibles, and he did not find that they were gratified when among his
equals and superiors in station. Sensible men could not make him a
companion, and the more dangerous stamp of men, when they could not
fleece him, turned him into ridicule, so that he came home discontented.

It was not for my sympathy or company that he came home. He should
have had it, for I had grown really fond of him, and was he not a
charge left me by Harold? But he did not want me more than as lady of
the house when he gave a dinner-party; and after his experiences of
club dinners his requirements had become so distracting as to drive our
old servants away and me nearly crazy. Also he was constantly in a
state of discontent with Mr. Yolland about the management of the
estate, always grumbling about expenses and expecting unreasonable
returns, and interfering with the improvements Harold had set in hand,
till Mr. Yolland used to come and seek private interviews with me, to
try to get me to instil the explanations in which he had failed. Once
or twice I made peace, but things grew worse and worse. I heard
nothing but petulant abuse of George Yolland on one side, and on the
other I knew he would have thrown up the agency except for Harold.

When at Michaelmas Eustace informed him that the estate should no
longer go on without a regular responsible agent, and that one was
engaged who had been recommended by Mr. Horsman, I do not know whether
he was most hurt or relieved, though I could hardly forgive the slight
to his cousin, far less the reply, when I urged the impropriety.
"Harold can't expect to domineer over everything. He has put me to
expense enough already with his fancies."

In truth Eustace had been resorting all this time to the companionship
of the Horsmans. Hunting, during the previous winter, had thrown him
with them more than we knew, and when he found me far more of a
champion for Harold's rights than he wished, and, I fear too, much less
tolerant of his folly and petulan