"So I do. If you go on like that, you'll put me out of both my
lodgers."

"Go on like what, mother? If a gentleman speaks to me, I suppose I'm
to answer him? I know how to behave myself, I believe." And then she
gave her head a toss. Whereupon her mother was silent; for her mother
was afraid of her.




CHAPTER V

About L. D.


Apollo Crosbie left London for Allington on the 31st of August,
intending to stay there four weeks, with the declared intention of
recruiting his strength by an absence of two months from official
cares, and with no fixed purpose as to his destiny for the last of
those two months. Offers of hospitality had been made to him by the
dozen. Lady Hartletop's doors, in Shropshire, were open to him, if he
chose to enter them. He had been invited by the Countess de Courcy
to join her suite at Courcy Castle. His special friend, Montgomerie
Dobbs, had a place in Scotland, and then there was a yachting party
by which he was much wanted. But Mr Crosbie had as yet knocked
himself down to none of these biddings, having before him when he
left London no other fixed engagement than that which took him to
Allington. On the first of October we shall also find ourselves at
Allington in company with Johnny Eames; and Apollo Crosbie will