"Well, should Blanche know? That is, before acceptance." "Oh, ay!" said Lady Enville. "Oh, no!" said Rachel. In Rachel's eyes, the new-fangled plan of giving the young lady a voice in the question was fraught with danger. But Lady Enville prevailed. Blanche was summoned, and asked what she thought of John Feversham. It did not appear that Blanche had thought much about him at all. She was rather inclined to laugh at and despise him. Well, had she any disposition to marry him? Blanche's shrinking--"Oh no, an' it liked you, Father!"--decided the matter. To all outward appearance, John Feversham took his rejection very quietly. Sir Thomas couched it in language as kind as possible. John said little in answer, and exhibited no sign of vexation. But Rachel, who was still pursuing her career of amateur detective, thought that he felt more distress than he showed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note 1. The embroidery about the heel and ankle, which showed above the low shoes then fashionable. Note 2. Lest the reader should think this idea too preposterous to have been seriously entertained, I refer him to words actually uttered (and approved by the hearers) on the death of Philippe, Duke of Orleans, brother of Louis the Fourteenth:--"I can assure you, God thinks twice before He damns a person of the Prince's quality."--(_Memoires de Dangeau_). CHAPTER FOURTEEN. WHICH WAS THE COWARD? "Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d'autre crainte." _Racine_. "There shall be a bull baited to-morrow at Rosso Hall," [now Rossall] said Jack one evening at rear-supper. "I shall be there, without fail; who goeth withal?" Lady Enville was doubtful of the weather, but she expressed no compassion for the bull. Clare declined without giving her reason. Blanche looked as if she did not know whether or not to ask permission to accompany her brother. Sir Thomas said he had too much to think about; and if not, it was an amusement for which he had no fancy. "And thou, Feversham?" "No! I thank you." "No!--and wherefore?" "Because I count it not right." "Puritan!" cried Jack in accents of the deepest scorn. Feversham continued his supper with great unconcern. "Art thou no Puritan?" "What is a Puritan?" calmly returned John. "One that reckoneth a laugh sin." "Then, if so be, I am no Puritan." "Jack!" reproved his father. "Sir, of all things in this world, there is nought I do loathe and despise like to a Puritan!" "There is a worse thing than reckoning a laugh to be sin, Jack," said Sir Thomas gravely; "and that is, reckoning sin a thing to laugh at." "And wherefore dost loathe a Puritan, quotha?" demanded Rachel. "Be they so much better than thou?" "There be no gentlemen amongst them, Aunt Rachel," suggested Blanche mischievously. "They set them up for having overmuch goodness," answered Jack in a disgusted tone.