"Oh, Marius!" cried his brother, smiling, "thou art become a sad virtuous fellow; concern not thyself with me, thine own good qualities will save the name of Lyndwood." "'Tis a thing not wholly in my keeping," replied Marius, kindling at the other's manner. "You are the elder--well, no more, but I will none of your money, my lord, and none of your influence to push me into some idle place at Court." Rose Lyndwood loosened the pink mantle from his throat. "You are a pragmatical fellow," he said calmly; "and must even do as you please. I shall expect to see you again when you are tired of virtue on a hundred a year." "I do not put such a high value upon money," answered Marius hotly. "Maybe," said my lord lazily; "but you have not yet tried to do without it." He rose suddenly. "I' God's name, Marius, let us have done with this prating; we each mean the same thing, I doubt not; why should we be discontented with one another? Stay in London and make the best of it; do what others do, 'tis the surest wisdom." "What others do!" repeated his brother with quickened breath; "marry an heiress and gamble myself and her to ruin, take some woman for her fortune and make her life unendurable with my disdain while I spend her money on sordid pleasures; buy myself into a corrupt Ministry and fatten on the proceeds of Court intrigues. I have not the temper for these things, my lord." The Earl laid his gloves and whip on the couch from which he had risen; he looked steadily at Marius. "I shall begin to think that you came here to insult me," he said. "Now why, I wonder." "I tell you that my way is not your way, my lord." "You tell me more than that," answered Rose Lyndwood. "And I discern who has been prompting you." At this allusion to the Countess, Marius flushed. "I need no promptings to perceive the way you live, my lord, nor can I shut my ears to what I hear of your senseless extravagance." The Earl interrupted. "Oh, she gave me a rake-helly reputation, I doubt not--spare the repetition, and understand I'll have no more of it." "No more of what, sir?" Lord Lyndwood moved towards him. "No more of these discussions with my lady--either in my house or out of it--she needs no champions." "I cannot speak of this with you," answered Marius hotly. "All has gone amiss." "Have done with this philosophy," interrupted my lord with darkening eyes, "and do not seek to play the monitor with my affairs--I'll not take it, Marius." "There are things I will not take, my lord. I am at liberty to see what all the town sees, and to say what all the town says." "Not to my face," said the Earl, "nor yet to my wife." "Leave the Countess out of it, my lord--even if she should show her unhappiness; she has given no bond to be dumb as well as patient." My lord unclasped his cloak and flung it over a chair.