VIII

lIseehimforyou,mother?"volunteeredTussiebriskly. "You?"saidhismothersurprised. "I'mratheradabatGerman,youknow.Perhapshecan'ttalkmuchEnglish"—thefootmanstarted—"evidentlyhewasn'tabletosaymuchtoDawson.ProbablyhewantsyoutoprotecthimfromtheonslaughtsofoldPearce'scockroaches.Anyhowashe'saforeignerIthinkitwouldbekindertoseehim." LadyShuttleworthwasastonished.WasTussiegoingtoturnoveranewleafafterall,nowthathewascomingofage,andinteresthimselfinmoreprofitablethingsthanverse-making? "Dearest,"shesaid,quitetouched,"heshallbeseenifyouthinkitkinder.I'llseehim—youhaven'tdonebreakfastyet.Showhimintothelibrary,James."Andshegatheredupherlettersandwentout—sheneverkeptpeoplewaiting—andasshepassedTussieshelaidherhandtenderlyforamomentonhisshoulder."IfIfindIcan'tunderstandhimI'llsendforyou,"shesaid. Tussiefoldeduphissonnetandputitinhispocket.Thenheateafewspoonfulsofthestuffwarrantedtogivehimpureblood,hugemuscles,andavastintelligencethenheopenedanewspaperandstaredvacantlyatitscontentsthenhewenttothefireandwarmedhisfeetthenhestrolledroundthetableaimlesslyforalittleandthen,whenhalfanhourhadpassedandhismotherhadnotreturned,hecouldbearitnolongerandmarchedstraightintothelibrary. "Ithinkthecigarettesmustbehere,"saidTussie,goingovertothemantelpieceandthrowingalookofeagerinterestatFritzing. Fritzingroseandbowedceremoniously.LadyShuttleworthwassittinginastraight-backedchair,herelbowsonitsarms,thetipsofhertenfingersnicelyfittedtogether.Shelookedveryangry,andyettherewasasparkleofsomethinglikeamusementinhereyes.HavingbowedtoTussieFritzingsatdownagainwiththeelaborationofonewhomeanstostayalongwhile.Duringhiswalkfromthefarmhehadmadeuphismindtobeofamostwinningamiabilityandpatience,blendedwithadeterminationthatnothingshouldshake.Atthedoor,itistrue,hehadbeenstirredtopetulancebythefoolishfaceandutterancesofthefootmanJames,butduringthewholeofthetimehehadbeenalonewithLadyShuttleworthhehadbehaved,heconsidered,withtheutmostrestraintandtact. Tussieofferedhimacigarette. "MydearTussie,"saidhismotherquickly,"wewillnotkeepMr.Neumann-Schultz.I'msurehistimemustbequiteasvaluableasmineis." "Ohmadam,"saidFritzingwithavastpoliteness,settlinghimselfyetmorefirmlyinhischair,"nothingofminecanpossiblybeofthesamevalueasanythingofyours." LadyShuttleworthstared—shehadstaredagooddealduringthelasthalfhou