Nevertheless, there was something
unregenerate about her eye, that, taken in connection with the two
subalterns in whose car she had come to call at Mount Music, suggested
that Bill Kirby might at times find life stirring. John, recently
ordained, now a very decorative curate in a London church, was there,
even more patronising than Judith, and undecided whether to regard
Larry with suspicion, as a brand still smouldering from the fires of
secularist France, or affectionately, as a member of what, in one of
his earlier sermons, he had described as "Our ancient Mother Church,
dear Peopul! Beloved, but in some matters, that I will presently
indicate to you, mistaken!"

The subalterns were remote, not approving of the style of Larry's tie
(which he had bought in Paris, and differed from theirs) and Cousin
Dick was not there.

"You must go and see him, dear Larry," says Cousin Isabel, "he's in
the study."

"And Christian? Though, of course, I met her this morning--" says
Larry.

Christian, poor child, went out for a little walk with the dogs just
now. Christian (poor child) had felt that wretched business this
morning so terribly. The wretched business was gone into, thoroughly
and exhaustively, and yet Larry felt that across one corner of it
there was a fold of curtain drawn. He said he would go and see Cousin
Dick. There was always a chance that Christian, also, might be in the
study. The axiom that "If a man want a thing he _mus'_ have it,"
should, in Larry's case, have the corollary that he must have it at
once.

The Major was standing by the chimney piece in the study, warming one
foot after the other at the fire that Evans had just replenished.
Larry met the scald-crow at the door, and Evans passed him "as if,"
thought Larry, disgustedly, "he had been seeing me every day for a
year! The old beast always hated me!" Larry did not like being hated.

Cousin Dick's greeting was more like old times. Dick was one of those
people whose wrath has a tendency to intermit and get cold, even to
perish, temporarily, from forgetfulness. On the other hand, in
compensation, perhaps, for this failing, it was a fire easily
rekindled. He was still shaking Larry's hand, and looking him up and
down, affectionately, and withal, with the inevitable patronage of a
long-legged man for one from whom Nature has withheld similar
advantages, when Larry discovered the large presence of Dr. Mangan
uplifting itself from the chair facing Cou