“Not at all,” answered his wife, warmly. “Though I grant that there is a better guarantee for a man of birth conducting himself properly in a place of trust, because he has deposited such stakes. Even if he have not principle in himself, he will not act as if he had none, for fear of losing caste. Whereas one with no connections about him to hold him in check will only act aright if he have principle. But we have gone from our topic, which was, not Jingles, but Arminell. I want to speak about her, and about him only so far as he influences her for good or bad. I will tell you my cause of uneasiness.” 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 Arminell, and must give his _congé_ to the tutor. Arminell was in an irritable frame of mind, suspecting that something was brewing, and Lady Lamerton was uneasy because she saw that her husband was disturbed in his usually placid manner. After dinner, Lord Lamerton said to his daughter as she was leaving the room, “Armie, dear, are you going into the avenue? If so, I shall be glad of your company, as I intend to go there with a cigar presently.” “If you wish it, papa; but—Mrs. Cribbage heard that you and I had been walking there last night, and it meets with her disapproval. May James first run to the rectory with our compliments and ask Mrs. Cribbage’s kind permission?” She looked, as she spoke, at her step-mother, and there was defiance in her eye.