"
"I see, you're afraid she will teach me to be too proper behaved for
you."
"Precisely so, after her experience of Russian countesses. I don't
know whether she will let you be mistress of your own house."
"She will make me mistress all the more," said Caroline; "for she
will make me all the more 'queen o'er myself.'"
Then began the shopping, such shopping extraordinary as none of the
family had ever enjoyed except in dreams; and when it was the object
of everybody to conceal their purchases from everybody else.
Caroline contrived to make time for a quiet luncheon with Dr. and
Mrs. Lucas, to which she took her two youngest boys, since Jock was
the godson of the house, and had moreover been shaken off by his two
elder brothers. Happily he was too good-tempered to grumble at being
thrown over, and his mind was in a beatific state of contemplation of
his newly-purchased treasures, a small pistol, a fifteen-bladed
knife, and a box of miscellaneous sweets, although his mother had so
far succumbed to the weakness of her sex as to prevent the weapon
from being accompanied by any ammunition.
As to Armine, she wanted to consult Dr. Lucas about the fragile looks
and liability to cold that had alarmed her ever since Rob's exploit.
Besides, he was so unlike the others! Had she not seen him quietly
make his way into the drawing-room, where Mrs.
Pages:
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312