"He sha'n't have her--there! I forbade him to go there; and, not content with insulting me by grubbing down and burning the hoarding I erected to keep off obnoxious people, he has gone there again and again, encouraged by the adventurer of a father." "I am very sorry, dear." "Sorry? What good does that do? And he's there now." "No, my dear," said Lady Pinemount; "he is just coming across the park." "Ah! is he?" cried Lord Pinemount, leaping up and running to the window. "Here,--hi! Denis! Come here!" The young man came calmly enough up to the window. "Ah, mamma!" he said. "You want me, sir?" "Yes. Where the devil have you been?" "Over to Sandleighs, sir. And have the goodness to remember, in addressing me, that I am not one of the grooms." "Denis!" "All right, mamma. I am not a child now, and if his lordship addresses me in that tone I shall resent it." "Ah, indeed!" said the father sarcastically. "May I respectfully inquire, then, why you have been over to Sandleighs?" "To apologise to Doctor Salado for causing him so much annoyance." "Say Don Salado, my dear son," cried his lordship: "and may I ask how you have annoyed him? By making eyes at the adventurer's daughter--bah! wench!" The young man's eyes flashed, but he spoke quite calmly. "I apologised for causing him to be suspected of destroying that hoarding which I cut down and burned." "Yes, I know you did, sir." "I am not surprised, father. I thought one of your spies would be watching me." "Oh, Denis, Denis!" cried Lady Pinemount appealingly. "Right, mother dear. I'll speak and act quite calmly; but I will not be treated as a schoolboy." "Then you have apologised to Doctor Salado, the Spanish-American adventurer, and you are going to espouse his daughter, I presume?" "Yes, father. I love her very dearly, and--" "That will do, thank you," said his lordship quietly, though he was pale with suppressed fury. "I have no time to listen to silly sentiment. Good morning: there is the door." Lady Pinemount ran to her son's side. "Don't quarrel, Denis, for my sake," she whispered; and he pressed her hand. "Did you hear me, Mr Rolleston? Have the goodness to go. Of course you will get the title when I die, and the estate. But not a penny do you have from me beside; and the estate will nearly ruin you, without money to keep it up. You say you are a man: act like one, and go." "You wish me to leave your house finally, sir?" "Wish? I order you to go; and until you come over humbly and ask leave to pay your addresses to the Lady Jenny, never darken my doors again." "Very well, sir. I will see you again, mother, before I go." "Denis! Husband, pray, pray do not let this trouble come upon us." "Mr Rolleston, being angry makes me ill. I wish to behave politely and calmly to you. Please to go."