Cosmo was speaking to me
about you only yesterday morning."

"I shall be quite willing to go down to Monkshade, if Sir Cosmo likes
it better;--that is, when the season is a little more through."

"He won't have you at Monkshade. He won't let you go there again. And
he won't have you here. You know that you are turning what I say into
joke."

"No, indeed, aunt,"

"Yes, you are;--you know you are. You are the most ungrateful,
heartless creature I ever met. You must make up your mind to leave
this house at once."

"Where does Sir Cosmo mean that I should go, then?"

"To the workhouse, if you like. He doesn't care."

"I don't suppose he does;--the least in the world," said Burgo,
opening his eyes, and stretching his nostrils, and looking into his
aunt's face as though he had great ground for indignation.

But the turning of Burgo out of the house was not Lady Monk's
immediate purpose. She knew that he would hang on there till the
season was over. After that he must not be allowed to return again,
unless he should have succeeded in a certain enterprise. She had
now caught him in order that she might learn whether there was any
possible remaining chance of success as to that enterprise. So she
received his indignation in silence, and began upon another subject.
"What a fool you made of yourself last night, Burgo!"

"Did I;--more of a fool than usual?"

"I believe that you will never be serious about anything. Why did you
go on waltzing in that way when every pair of eyes in the room was
watching you?"

"I couldn't help going on, if she liked it."

"Oh, yes,--say it was her fault. That's so like a man!"

"Look here, aunt, I'm not going to sit here and be abused. I couldn't
take her in my arms, and fly away with her out of a crowd."

"Who wants you to fly away with her?"

"For the matter of that, I suppose that you do."

"No, I don't."

"Well, then, I do."

"You! you haven't spirit to do that, or anything else. You are like a
child that is just able to amuse itself for the moment, and never can
think of anything further. You simply disgraced yourself last night,
and me too,--and her; but, of course, you care nothing about that."

"I had a plan all ready;--only he came back."

"Of course he came back. Of course he came back, when they sent him
word how you and she were going on. And now he will have forgiven
her, and after that, of course, the thing will be all over."

"I tell you what, aunt; she wou