Evan was placable enough, but dogged;
he declined to make any admission, though within himself he admitted
that his antagonist was not in the position of an impostor; which he for
one honest word among them would be exposed as being, and which a
simple exercise of resolution to fly the place would save him from being
further.

Lady Jocelyn enjoyed the fun, and still more the serious way in which
her relatives regarded it.

'This comes of Rose having friends, Emily,' said Mrs. Shorne.

There would have been a dispute to arrange between Lady Jocelyn and
Mrs. Shorne, had not her ladyship been so firmly established in her
phlegmatic philosophy. She said: 'Quelle enfantillage! I dare say Rose
was at the bottom of it: she can settle it best. Defer the encounter
between the boys until they see they are in the form of donkeys.
They will; and then they'll run on together, as long as their goddess
permits.'

'Indeed, Emily,' said Mrs. Shorne, 'I desire you, by all possible means,
to keep the occurrence secret from Rose. She ought not to hear of it.'

'No; I dare say she ought not,' returned Lady Jocelyn; 'but I wager
you she does. You can teach her to pretend not to, if you like. Ecce
signum.'

Her ladyship pointed through the library window at Rose, who was walking
with Laxley, and showing him her pearly teeth in return for one of his
jokes: an exchange so manifestly unfair, that Lady Jocelyn's womanhood,
indifferent as she was, could not but feel that Rose had an object in
view; which was true, for she was flattering Laxley into a consent to
meet Evan half way.

The ladies murmured and hummed of these proceedings, and of Rose's
familiarity with Mr. Harrington; and the Countess in trepidation took
Evan to herself, and spoke to him seriously; a thing she had not done
since her residence in Beckley. She let him see that he must be on
a friendly footing with everybody in the house, or go which latter
alternative Evan told her he had decided on. 'Yes,' said the Countess,
'and then you give people full warrant to say it was jealousy drove you
hence; and you do but extinguish yourself to implicate dear Rose. In
love, Evan, when you run away, you don't live to fight another day.'

She was commanded not to speak of love.

'Whatever it may be, my dear,' said the Countess, 'Mr. Laxley has used
you ill. It may be that you put yourself at his feet'; and his sister
looked at him, sighing a great sigh. She had, with violence, stay