"
"I believe that," said Rosy Anstruthers, with a quivering mouth. "I do
believe it so."
"I walked to Mount Dunstan," Betty said later.
"Really?" said Rosy. "There and back?"
"Yes, and all round the park and the gardens."
Rosy looked rather uncertain.
"Weren't you a little afraid of meeting someone?"
"I did meet someone. At first I took him for a gamekeeper. But he turned
out to be Lord Mount Dunstan."
Lady Anstruthers gasped.
"What did he do?" she exclaimed. "Did he look angry at seeing a
stranger? They say he is so ill-tempered and rude."
"I should feel ill-tempered if I were in his place," said Betty. "He has
enough to rouse his evil passions and make him savage. What a fate for a
man with any sense and decency of feeling! What fools and criminals
the last generation of his house must have produced! I wonder how such
things evolve themselves. But he is different--different. One can see
it. If he had a chance--just half a chance--he would build it all up
again. And I don't mean merely the place, but all that one means when
one says 'his house.'"
"He would need a great deal of money," sighed Lady Anstruthers.
Betty nodded slowly as she looked out, reflecting, into the park.
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