Fiction > Book editions > London, 1885 - Dynamiter

THE SUPERFLUOUS MANSION, 107
and then, turning in wrath on the young man, ' From
Avliat rank in life are you sprung ? ' she demanded.
' You have the exterior of a gentleman ; but from the
astonishing evidences before me, I should say you can
only be a greengrocer's man. Pray, gather up your
vegetables, and let me see no more of you.'
' Madam,' babbled Somerset, ' you promised mc a
month's warning.'
' That was under a misapprehension,' returned the old
lady. ' I now give you warning to leave at once.'
' Madam,' said the young man, ' I wish I could ; and
indeed, as far as I am concerned, it might be done. But
then, my lodger ! '
' Your lodger 1 ' echoed Mrs. Luxmore.
' My lodger : why should I deny it ? ' returned
Somerset. ' He is only by the week.'
The old lady sat down upon a chair. ' You have a
lodger ?— you 1 ' she cried. ' And pray, how did you get
him 1 '
' By advertisement,' replied the young man. '
madam, I have not lived unobservantly. I adopted ' —
his eyes involuntarily shifted to the cartoons — ' I adopted
every method.'
Her eyes had followed his ; for the first time in
Somerset's experience, she produced a double eyeglass ;
and as soon as the full merit of the works had flashed
upon her, she gave way to peal after peal of her trilling
and soprano laughter.
' O, I think you are perfectly delicious ! ' she cried.
' I do hope you had them in the window. M'Pherson,'
she continued, crying to her maid, who had been all
this time gi'imly waiting in the hall, ' I lunch with
Mr. Somerset. Take the cellar key and bring some
wine.'
In this gay humour, she continued througliout the
luncheon ; presented Somerset with a couple of dozen of
wine, which she made JM'Pherson bring up from the
cellar — ' as a present, my dear,' she said, with another
burst of tearful merriment, ' for your charming pictures,
which you must be sure to leave me when you go ; ' and