"No, nor those painters and people that my boy says this chap's always bringing to mess," replied Sir Coke. "There, he's gone away with Duncan now," said Toshington, "and they'll be happy. They're too clever, those two are, for us old fellows! Not that you're an old fellow, Sumph, my boy." "You're old enough for several, ain't you, Tommy?" said Lord Sumph; "and I'm old enough to play you a game of billiards before dinner, and give you fifteen; so come along." Meanwhile Ronald Kilsyth and Duncan Forbes had walked away to the far end of the room, which happened to be deserted at the time; and seating themselves on an ottoman, were soon engaged in earnest conversation. "What on earth made you remain in town, Ronald?" asked Duncan. "I heard what you said to those fellows; but I know well enough that you could have got leave if you had wished. Why did you not come up to Kilsyth?" "Principally because there was no particular inducement for me to do so, Duncan." "You always were polite, Ronald--" "Ah, you were there! No, no; you know perfectly well what I mean, Duncan. With you and the governor and Madeleine I'm always perfectly happy; and her ladyship is very friendly, and we get on very well together. But then I like you all quietly and by yourselves; I'm selfish enough to want the entire enjoyment of your society. And the life at Kilsyth would not have suited me at all." "Well, I don't know; it was very jolly--" "Yes, of course it was, and--By the way, Duncan, tell me all about it; who were there, and what you did." "O, heaps of people there--the Northallertons, and the Thurlows, and--" "Yes, yes; but what men--younger men, I mean?" "Let me see; there was Towcester--" "No, not he; her ladyship would not have thought him objectionable, whatever I might." "What? what the deuce are you muttering, Ronald?" "I beg your pardon, Duncan--thinking aloud only; it's a horrible habit I've fallen into. Well, who besides Towcester?" "O, Severn, and Roderick Douglas, and Charley Jefferson--" "Ah, Charley Jefferson; he's just the same, of course?" "O yes, he's as jolly as ever." "Yes; but I mean, is he as devoted as he was to Lady Fairfax?" "O, worse; most desperate case of--no, by the way, though, I forgot; I think he has cooled off--" "Cooled off! since when?" "Since your sister's illness." "Since my sister's illness! Why, what could that have to do with them?" "Well, you see, some of the people in the house got frightened at the notion of infection and that kind of thing, and bolted off. Lady Fairfax was one of the first to rush away; and Charley, who is loyalty itself in everything, as you know, was deucedly annoyed about it. My lady had been leading him a pretty dance for a few days previously, playing off little Towcester against him, and--" "Ah, yes. No doubt Charley was right, quite right. And that was all about him, eh? And so the people were frightened at poor Madeleine's illness, were they?"