Page:The time spirit; a romantic tale (IA timespiritromant00snaiiala).pdf/243

 Bridport House is steeped in crass idiocy; all the more reason, I say, that we give it no encouragement."

"Quite so," chimed Mrs. Wren.

"Quite so," chimed Milly, who was irresistibly reminded of a recent command performance of "Money."

Mrs. Wren shook a histrionic finger at the luckless Mary, whose eyes were seeking rather wildly a means of escape. "Don't speak! Don't venture to say a word!" The victim had not shown the least disposition to do so. "You simply haven't a leg to stand on, you know."

It was a shameful piece of bullying but the victim bore it stoically. And it did not go on for long. Neither Mrs. Wren nor Milly was exactly a fool. As soon as they saw that main force was not likely to help them, and that more harm than good might be done by it, they decided to leave the whole matter to Jack. They had expressed their own point of view very fully, they knew that he could be trusted to make the most of his case; besides, when all was said, he was the person best able to deal with an entirely vexatious affair.

Of a sudden, the astute Milly flung a swift glance at her mother and got up from her chair. And without another word on the subject, this pair of conspirators dramatically withdrew.

VI

Such an exit from the scene was far more eloquent than words. And its immediate effect was to plunge Jack and Mary with a haste that was hardly decent, into what both felt was perilously like a final crisis. Its very nature was of a sort that a finer diplomacy would have