Then he dismissed the subject from his mind, and no
doubt imagined that he had fully done his duty by his daughter.
On the day after this, Crosbie was to go. On the last afternoon,
shortly before dinner, he was waylaid by Lady Julia, who had passed
the day in preparing traps to catch him.
"Mr Crosbie," she said, "let me have one word with you. Is this
true?"
"Lady Julia," he said, "I really do not know why you should inquire
into my private affairs."
"Yes, sir, you do know; you know very well. That poor young lady who
has no father and no brother, is my neighbour, and her friends are my
friends. She is a friend of my own, and being an old woman, I have a
right to speak for her. If this is true, Mr Crosbie, you are treating
her like a villain."
"Lady Julia, I really must decline to discuss the matter with you."
"I'll tell everybody what a villain you are; I will, indeed--a
villain and a poor weak silly fool. She was too good for you; that's
what she was." Crosbie, as Lady Julia was addressing to him the last
words, hurried upstairs away from her, but her ladyship, standing on
a landing-place, spoke up loudly, so that no word should be lost on
her retreating enemy.
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