ester's order remained in full force. The
under-servants in the hall (charged to obey that order as they valued
their places) looked from "Mr. Geoffrey" to the butler, The butler
looked from "Mr. Geoffrey" to "Mr. Julius." Julius looked at his
brother. There was an awkward pause. The position of the second son was
the position of a wild beast in the house--a creature to be got rid of,
without risk to yourself, if you only knew how.

Geoffrey spoke, and solved the problem

"Open the door, one of you fellows," he said to the footmen. "I'm off."

"Wait a minute," interposed his brother. "It will be a sad
disappointment to my mother to know that you have been here, and gone
away again without seeing her. These are no ordinary circumstances,
Geoffrey. Come up stairs with me--I'll take it on myself."

"I'm blessed if I take it on _my_self!" returned Geoffrey. "Open the
door!"

"Wait here, at any rate," pleaded Julius, "till I can send you down a
message."

"Send your message to Nagle's Hotel. I'm at home at Nagle's--I'm not at
home here."

At that point the discussion was interrupted by the appearance of a
little terrier in the hall. Seeing strangers, the dog began to bark.
Perfect tranquillity in the house had been absolutely insisted on by the
doctors; and the servants, all trying together to catch the animal and
quiet him, simply aggravated the noise he was making. Geoffrey solved
this problem also in his own decisive way. He swung round as the dog was
passing him, and kicked it with his heavy boot. The little creature
fell on the spot, whining piteously. "My lady's pet dog!" exclaimed the
butler. "You've broken its ribs, Sir." "I've broken it of barking, you
mean," retorted Geoffrey. "Ribs be hanged!" He turned to his brother.
"That settles it," he said, jocosely. "I'd better defer the pleasure of
calling on dear mamma till the next opportunity. Ta-ta, Julius. You know
where to find me. Come, and dine. We'll give you a steak at Nagle's that
will make a man of you."

He went out. The tall footmen eyed his lordship's second son with
unaffected respect. They had seen him, in public, at the annual festival
of the Christian-Pugilistic-Association, with "the gloves" on. He could
have beaten the biggest man in the hall within an inch of his life in
three minutes. The porter bowed as he threw open the door. The whole
interest and attention of the domestic establishment then present was
concentrated on Geoffrey. Julius w