I can go and see him."

"Suppose he does something violent? He's quite capable of it."

"Oh! I shall talk to him. It'll be all right. I'm very sensible indeed,
you know. All my friends tell me that."

Dick was silent.

"Don't you think so?"

"Think what?"

"That I'm very sensible."

Dick made a little movement with his head.

"Oh! I suppose so. Yes, I daresay.... And suppose my uncle cuts him off
with a shilling? He's quite capable of it. He's a very heavy father, you
know."

"He won't. I shall talk to him too."

"Yes; but suppose he does?"

She threw him a swift glance.

"Frank'll put the shilling on his watch-chain, after it's been shown
with all the other wedding-presents. What are you going to give me, Mr.
Dick?"

"I shall design a piece of emblematic jewelry," said Dick very gravely.
"When's the wedding to be?"

"Well, we hadn't settled. Lord Talgarth wouldn't make up his mind. I
suppose next summer some time."

"Miss Jenny--"

"Yes?"

"Tell me--quite seriously--what you'd do if there was a real row--a
permanent one, I mean--between Frank and my uncle?"

"Dear Mr. Dick--don't talk so absurdly. I tell you there's not going to
be a row. I'm going to see to that myself."

"But suppose there was?"

Jenny stood up abruptly.

"I tell you I'm a very sensible person, and I'm not going to imagine
absurdities. What do you want me to say? Do you want me to strike an
attitude and talk about love in a cottage?"

"Well, that would be one answer."

"Very well, then. That'll do, won't it? You can take it as said.... I'm
going to see what's happening."

But as she went to the door there came footsteps and voices outside; and
the next moment the door opened suddenly, and Lord Talgarth, followed by
his son and the Rector, burst into the room.

(II)

I am very sorry to have to say it, but the thirteenth Earl of Talgarth
was exactly like a man in a book--and not a very good book. His
character was, so to speak, cut out of cardboard--stiff cardboard, and
highly colored, with gilt edges showing here and there. He also, as has
been said, resembled a nobleman on the stage of the Adelphi. He had a
handsome inflamed face, with an aquiline nose and white eyebrows that
moved up and down, and all the other things; he was stout and tall,
suffered from the gout, and carried with him in the house a black stick
with an india-rubber pad on the end. There were no shades about him at
all. Construct a conventiona