His question to the tutor judiciously lasted till twelve, when he
dropped in to consult Captain Duncombe about horse-hire in London;
and that gentleman, who had been undergoing a course of political
economy all the morning, eagerly pounced on him for a tour of his
stables, which lasted till luncheon was due, and he could casually
enter the dining-room, where Lady Tyrrell held out her hand good-
naturedly to him, laughing at the blankness he could not entirely
conceal. "Only me!" she said. "It can't be helped! Poor Lenore
caught such a dreadful sore throat last night, that I have shut her
up in her room with a mustard poultice."
"Indeed! I am very sorry."
"You may well look horrified! You were the guilty party, I suspect.
Taking her all across the park under those dank trees!"
He coloured up to the eyes, little expecting to be thus convicted;
but Mrs. Duncombe came to his aid. "My impartiality would impute
the damage to her standing about with those wretched little dogs of
mine."
"It is your climate," said Mrs. Tallboys. "In our dry atmosphere
there would be no risk with a far lower temperature.
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