The Eldest Son

ive in town-to come down whenever they pleased, to spend a night or a few nights, without announcing their arrival. Their rooms were there ready for them. Kencote was their home. Dick or Humphrey,

bucolic life, a tie with the world. He would always give them a hearty welcome, even if

sorts of risks. The Squire, perhaps, would have preferred that the demands upon him should have come in that way rather than from the constant, rather cold-blooded exceeding of an allowance which he told himself, and Humphrey, was as large as any younger son had a right to expect, and a good deal larger than most of them got. Humphrey did not deny this. He simply said, whenever he did ask his father for more money, that he had not been able to do on it, but if his father would clear off his debts for him and give him a fresh start, he would try to do on it for the future. He had made

bout it. He had done so the first time, and even the second, after a rather stronger explosion. It was the third, now nearly two years ago, which had rankled; and the reason was not only that Humphrey, as seemed quite obvious, was living in just such a way as had brought him to exceed his income and get into trouble before, with the consequence that a new crisis and a new d

hat, when once his father became aware of it, it would not help him in any plan he might have to make for further pecuniary assistance. The Squire merely had a feeling of irritation against Humphrey, which slumbered while he was away and always became sharper during his somewh

Clintons who was dark. He was not so good-looking as Dick, but he was well set up, and his clothes were always the perfect expression of the requirements of

d Mrs. Graham near her. The twins were on the sofa on either side of Cicely. Humphrey kissed his mother, sho

you could have brought. Look here, we were talking o

d Humphrey. "She is a

o was she? An American th

nd led her an awful life. She used to hunt with the Quorn. Went like a bird, and didn't care how she went or where she went. People use

hed her brows and her mouth twitched, the twins caught t

uire. "Then why on earth--! Does h

" asked Humphrey. "Where ha

ythorn," said Mrs. Graham. "Going

or one of the brightest ornamen

good sport," he said, "if that's what she wants. But

" said Nancy, very unwisely, for she and

ire sharply. "Why aren't you with Miss Bird? Run

aturday. Can't we stay with

rising. "But I'll come with you and pay a

she said. "If you had kept quiet we should have heard everything. When you get hold of a new speech you must always

se. Still, it was quite true. We know who Dick is in love with now. O

children," said Cicely. "You k

so frightfully grown-up. We are not children any lo

se trying to keep family secrets from us, sending us out of the room

cted also, that since somebody must have suggested to the lady that she should spend a season hunting in Meadshire instead of in Leicestershire, that somebody was probably Dick. But if his brother had not seen fit to disclose that fact at Kencote, not even the

ows on him. "You said

e knew her better than I did. Lots of people

n actress,

t I've heard. It

ell now. I saw her when I was in New York with my husband ten years ag

sort of an actress was she?" h

either-I remember the Flower, an exuberant lady with gold teeth, who seemed to be very popular, but I should have said she was past her job. This girl danced-oh, I remember her very well; she was the best of the bunch, and the Flower grinned a

the sort that George Dubec would have married. Well,

e. I liked her immensely. She was certainly beautiful, and I l

on, for Cicely's carriage was announced at that moment, and the welfare of the Mountfield horses

, came into the library where his father was sitting at his big writing-tabl

m at his son. "I say, what's this about Lady

the smoking-table by the fire to get a match. "I've j

hough he could not have told why. "What on earth has sh

ad turned round sideways in his seat. "I suppose you may say I did bring her, in a way," he said. "S

ll known with the Quorn an

easons," he said. "She wanted something a bit quieter. I said I'd see if I could find her a smallish house, and I wrote to

ld thin

think, though, and she has

strange lady upon us?" asked the Squire, as a be

onth," said Dick, "and I'm n

over to see her this afternoon." The Squire's uneasiness was beginning to take s

out other things. The poor lady had a brute o

. A pretty sort of

he's a very charming woman. I think you'll like her, father. I want to ask the mater to go over a

t of his voice, but it escaped the Squire, who only saw himself

blackguard George Dubec picked up off th

k sharply. "Who said she wa

yhow-dancing on the sta

old yo

stage, and Mrs. Graham remembered s

mphrey

George Dubec-really, you might have thought twice before you brought a person of that sort her

on which he felt strongly, to any one else in the world, and when he had spoken he thre

d spend a month or two in this part of the country, I told her that my people would be glad to see her and do what they could for her. It never crosse

idow of a notorious profligate and swindler-George Dubec was a swindler, and he wasn't r

soul who knows her-and lots of people know her-who could have a word to say against her. It isn't generally known that she was on the stage-it was for a very short time-and I wish to goodness Humphrey had minded his own

welcome them to houses like Kencote. We live a quiet enough life here, I know that. We're not one of the modern smart country houses, thank God, and never will be as long as I'm alive. But we're of some account in this part of the world, and have be

rat of his household, had gone to his eldest son for advice upon any matter that bothered him, and had always taken his advice. In questions of estate management he had never taken a step of any importance without consulting Dick, and Dick had been the virtual ruler of the estate, although the Squire did not know it. In his father's eyes Dick was a model son. He had never once had to exercise his paternal authority over him since his schooldays. He knew that Kencote, which was the apple of his own

although in reference to other matters Dick had frequently, by the exercise of his peculiar gift of cool tact, caused the taking up again of a foot that was announced to have been put down, and by no means despaired of being able to do so in this instance, he knew that this was not the time to undertake the removal. Something of his moral supremacy had already disappeared if his father could take

about it, there's no more to be said. It's damned awk

ell, look here, Dick, I don't say anything one way or the other. I'll say this, my boy, you've never given me the slightest trouble, and we've always seen eye to eye in pretty well everything, and where we haven't

ing that, can I?" said

r think it over too, old boy. I can't help thinking you'll feel you haven't bee

he said, rising. "I think I'll go up and