Page:Arminell, a social romance (1896).djvu/219

Rh Then she related to her husband what she knew about the Sunday walk in the morning, and the Sunday talk in the afternoon, and the music-room meeting on the following morning.

"Oh!" said his lordship, "he only went there to turn over the pages of her music."

"You see nothing in that?"

"'Pon my soul, no."

"Then I must tell you about her conduct this afternoon, when she disobeyed me in a marked, and—I am sorry to use the expression—offensive manner."

"That I will not tolerate. I can not suffer her to be insolent to you."

"For pity's sake do not interfere. You will make matters worse. She will hate me for having informed you of what occurred. No—take some other course."

"What course?"

"Will it not be well to get rid of Saltren? And till he has departed, let Arminell go to Lady Hermione Woodhead."

Within parenthesis be it said that Woodhead was Aunt Hermione's real name, only in scorn, and to signify her contraction of mind had Arminell called her Flathead, after the tribe of Indians which affects the compression of infants' skulls.

"I cannot dismiss him at a moment's notice, like a servant who has misconducted himself. I'll be bound it is not his fault—it is Armie's."

"Let Arminell go to her aunt's at once."

"By all means. I'll have a talk with Saltren."

"Not a word about Arminell to him."

"Of course not, Julia. Now, my dear, it is time for me to dress for dinner."

Dinner passed with restraint on all sides. Lord Lamerton was uncomfortable because he felt he must speak to