Elster's was
vented on his brother.
He was waiting at boiling-point for the opportunity to "have it out" with
him: and it soon came. As the gentlemen left the dining-room--and in
these present days they do not, as a rule, sit long, especially when the
host is a young man--Percival Elster touched his brother to detain him,
and shut the door on the heels of the rest.
Lord Hartledon was surprised. Val's attack was so savage. He was talking
off his superfluous wrath, and the wine he had taken did not tend to cool
his heat. Lord Hartledon, vexed at the injustice, lost his temper; and
for once there was a quarrel, sharp and loud, between the brothers. It
did not last long; in its very midst they parted; throwing cutting words
one at the other. Lord Hartledon quitted the room, to join his guests;
Val Elster strode outside the window to cool his brain.
But now, look at the obstinate pride of those two foolish men! They were
angry with each other in temper, but not in heart. In Percival Elster's
conscience there was an underlying conviction that his brother had acted
only in thoughtless impulse when he carried the misfortune to the
Rectory; whilst Lord Hartledon was even then full of plans for serving
Val, and considered he had more need to help him than ever. A day or two
given to the indulgence of their anger, and they would be firmer friends
than ever.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121