With the cautious avoidance of anything like a scene that distinguishes
Englishmen, Lord Chandos turned first and carefully closed the door.
Then the earl spoke:

"My dear boy," he said, "I am so pleased to see you!"

But there was no response for either on the face of their son. He bowed
coldly, and his mother's jeweled arms fell by her side.

"This is a surprise, indeed," he said. "I should have considered some
little notice more agreeable."

"Lance, you may say what you will to me," said the earl, "but remember,
not one word to your mother."

"My mother was very cruel to me," he said, coldly, turning from her.

But my lady had recovered herself. She held out her hands with charming
grace; she looked at her son with a charming smile.

"My dearest Lance," she said, "children call the physician who cuts off
a diseased limb cruel, yet he is most merciful. I am even more merciful
than he. I did what I did in the spirit of truest kindness to you, my
son."

"Let there be no mention of the word kindness between us," he said. "You
nearly broke the heart, and certainly ruined the life of the girl whom I
loved. Mother, if that be what you call kindness, then I do not
understand the English tongue."

"I did it for your sake, my dearest Lance," said my lady, caressingly.

"One would have thought that, loving the girl with my whole heart, for
my sake you would have loved her also."

"Love plays but a poor part in life, Lance," said the Countess of
Lanswell. "You have too much sense to mar one of the brightest futures a
man has before him for the sake of sentimental nonsense called love."

"Mother," said the young lord, "I shall marry her on my twenty-first
birthday. I shall not delay one hour. You understand that clearly?"

The Countess of Lanswell shrugged her graceful shoulders.

"You will certainly be able to do as you like then," she said; "but we
need not quarrel over it in prospective; we can wait until the event
happens; then it will be quite time enough to discuss what we shall do."

"I am quite resolved," said Lord Chandos. "No persuasion, no argument
shall induce me to change."

"I have no arguments to use," said my lady, with a proud laugh. "When
you are of age you shall do as you like, marry whom you will--no
interference of mine will avail; but let us wait until the time comes.
My object in coming here is to seek a reconciliation with you. You are
our only son, and though you think me proud and cold,