"This is a surprise, indeed," he said. "I should have considered some little notice more agreeable." "Lance, you may say what you will to me," said the earl, "but remember, not one word to your mother." "My mother was very cruel to me," he said, coldly, turning from her. But my lady had recovered herself. She held out her hands with charming grace; she looked at her son with a charming smile. "My dearest Lance," she said, "children call the physician who cuts off a diseased limb cruel, yet he is most merciful. I am even more merciful than he. I did what I did in the spirit of truest kindness to you, my son." "Let there be no mention of the word kindness between us," he said. "You nearly broke the heart, and certainly ruined the life of the girl whom I loved. Mother, if that be what you call kindness, then I do not understand the English tongue." "I did it for your sake, my dearest Lance," said my lady, caressingly. "One would have thought that, loving the girl with my whole heart, for my sake you would have loved her also." "Love plays but a poor part in life, Lance," said the Countess of Lanswell. "You have too much sense to mar one of the brightest futures a man has before him for the sake of sentimental nonsense called love." "Mother," said the young lord, "I shall marry her on my twenty-first birthday. I shall not delay one hour. You understand that clearly?" The Countess of Lanswell shrugged her graceful shoulders. "You will certainly be able to do as you like then," she said; "but we need not quarrel over it in prospective; we can wait until the event happens; then it will be quite time enough to discuss what we shall do." "I am quite resolved," said Lord Chandos. "No persuasion, no argument shall induce me to change." "I have no arguments to use," said my lady, with a proud laugh. "When you are of age you shall do as you like, marry whom you will--no interference of mine will avail; but let us wait until the time comes. My object in coming here is to seek a reconciliation with you. You are our only son, and though you think me proud and cold, I still love and do not care to be at variance with you. Let us be friends, Lance, at least until you are of age." She held out her hands again with a smile he could not resist. "I tell you frankly," continued my lady, "that the young person has been to see me. We had quite a melodramatic interview. I do not wish to vex you, Lance, but she would make a capital fifth-rate actress for a tragedy in a barn." "Come, my lady, that is too bad," said the earl. The countess laughed. "It was really sensational," she said. "The conclusion of the interview was a very solemn threat on her part that she would be revenged upon me, so that I must be prepared for war. But, Lance, let it be as it may, we must be friends. You will not refuse your mother when she asks a favor, and it is the first favor, mind."