The roast mutton was on the table, and I had dispensed
with attendance. Miles, before he sat down, stood a moment
with his hands in his pockets and looked at the joint,
on which he seemed on the point of passing some humorous judgment.
But what he presently produced was: "I say, my dear, is she
really very awfully ill?"
"Little Flora? Not so bad but that she'll presently be better.
London will set her up. Bly had ceased to agree with her.
Come here and take your mutton."
He alertly obeyed me, carried the plate carefully
to his seat, and, when he was established, went on.
"Did Bly disagree with her so terribly suddenly?"
"Not so suddenly as you might think. One had seen it coming on."
"Then why didn't you get her off before?"
"Before what?"
"Before she became too ill to travel."
I found myself prompt. "She's NOT too ill to travel:
she only might have become so if she had stayed.
This was just the moment to seize. The journey will dissipate
the influence"--oh, I was grand!--"and carry it off."
"I see, I see"--Miles, for that matter, was grand, too. He settled
to his repast with the charming little "table manner" that, from the day
of his arrival, had relieved me of all grossness of admonition.
Whatever he had been driven from school for, it was not for ugly feeding.
He was irreproachable, as always, today; but he was unmistakably
more conscious.
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