The Quiet Gentleman

It was now apparent to everyone that battle was fairly joined. Mrs. Morville gave it as her opinion that it would be useless to attempt to distract the attention of either combatant, but when Drusilla was assisted to rise from the sofa, to go upstairs to bed, and stood for a moment, supported by the Earl’s arm, Mr. Morville happened to notice this circumstance, and broke off in the middle of what he was saying to the Dowager to address fatherly words of encouragement to his daughter.

 “Going to bed?” he said. “That’s right! You look a very poor thing, my dear! Better let St. Erth carry you, or you will be tumbling down in another faint!”

“An excellent suggestion, sir!” said the Earl, and picked his betrothed up and bore her off, heedless alike of her entreaties to him to remember his own injury, and of the strongly worded disapproval of Martin and the Viscount, who followed him out of the Hall, urging him to relinquish his burden to one or other of them.

“Well, well!” said Mr. Morville indulgently. “They mean to have each other, I suppose! It might have been worse. I don’t dislike your stepson, ma’am: at least he isn’t afraid to know his own mind, which is more than I can say of most of the young men I meet! But as for this Crusader of yours — ! No, no, the Férants were a Gascony family, which died out before 1500! No connection with the Frants, none at all! I told your late husband so, years ago! We,of course, have Raymond de Morville, and his cousin Bertrand, both of whom were twice on crusades, and are buried at Fonthaven, but I don’t consider it anything to boast of!”