interposed, impatient and not understanding. She heard Nick say that he
had posted his letter now and their companion flash out with an acerbity
still savouring of the sordid associations of a world he had not done
with: "Then of course my settlement doesn't take effect!"

"Oh that's all right," Nick answered kindly; and he went off next
morning by the early train--his injured host was still sleeping. Mrs.
Lendon's habits made it easy for her to be present in matutinal bloom at
the young man's hasty breakfast, and she sent a particular remembrance
to Lady Agnes and (when he should see them) to the Ladies Flora and
Elizabeth. Nick had a prevision of the spirit in which his mother at
least would now receive hollow compliments from Beauclere.

The night before, as soon as he had quitted Mr. Carteret, the old man
said to the nurse that he wished Mr. Chayter instructed to go and fetch
Mr. Mitton the first thing in the morning. Mr. Mitton was the leading
solicitor at Beauclere.

XXXIV

The really formidable thing for Nick had been to tell his mother: a
truth of which he was so conscious that he had the matter out with her
the very morning he returned from Beauclere. She and Grace had come back
the afternoon before from their own enjoyment of rural hospitality, and,
knowing this--she had written him her intention from the country--he
drove straight from the station to Calcutta Gardens. There was a little
room on the right of the house-door known as his own room; but in which
of a morning, when he was not at home, Lady Agnes sometimes wrote her
letters. These were always numerous, and when she heard our young man's
cab she happened to be engaged with them at the big brass-mounted bureau
that had belonged to his father, where, amid a margin of works of
political reference, she seemed to herself to make public affairs feel
the point of her elbow.

She came into the hall to meet her son and to hear about their
benefactor, and Nick went straight back into the room with her and
closed the door. It would be in the evening paper and she would see it,
and he had no right to allow her to wait for that. It proved indeed a
terrible hour; and when ten minutes later Grace, who had learned
upstairs her brother's return, went down for further news of him she
heard from the hall a sound of voices that made her first pause and
then retrace her steps on tiptoe. She mounted to the drawing-room and
crept about there, palpitating, lo