The Keepers of the People

801“I saw her on Tuesday morning. She gave me her hand, I remember, when she said goodbye.’ She had never done it before.”

802“By Jove, that reminds me!” said Lord Lisdor. “She was a long while saying goodbye to me when I took her home the night before. Why she must have gone of herself! She must have run away!”

803“That is what I thought,” said Lady Lisdor.

804“Well, this is a pretty trick she’s played us! But where has she gone to? Why did she go?” said Lord Lisdor.

805“She was unhappy. She had been forbidden to read books, and sometimes she was imprisoned in the house,” said the poet. “At least, I think she was. She could only come out in the early-morning.”

806“The devil she was!” said Lord Lisdor; and then very savagely to Lady Hammersmith, “Look here, Amelia, have you been bullying the child in one of your strenuous ways lately?”

807“Bullying? I never bullied Althea! I never bully!” cried Lady Hammersmith.

808“Oh, yes; you do. You bullied me, when I was a child. Now what have you been doing? Come, out with it!” said Lord Lisdor more savagely still.

809Lady Hammersmith tried to escape his savage, constraining eyes; and failing, faltered, “I corrected her some weeks ago.”

810“You struck Althea!” cried Lord Lisdor. “Yes; as a mother I was compelled to correct her; and I will not be spoken to like this!”

811“You struck Althea! Well, God forgive you for a damned fool! We’ll never see her again!” groaned Lord Lisdor.

812“Horrible, phlegethonian jade!” cried the poet. “Abominable, accurst spawn of the pit! I will strangle you!” And under a fresh absinthine impulse, he rushed round the table.

813Lord Lisdor caught him round the waist, and gripping him firmly, said, “Steady, my young friend, steady: don’t be so jolly mediaeval. As for you, Amelia, I have done with you, once and for all. I shall take care that your ill-treatment of the child is known. And I forbid Ruth to have anything more to do with you.”

814“It is the last thing I desire,” said Lady Lisdor; and she left the room with a very angry face.

815Lord Lisdor followed, dragging with him the reluctant poet; and the poor outraged mother was left alone to the bitter sense that her new notoriety was gone, and that once more she had brought on her friends a scandal that would hamper the Cause of Purity for months.