"And the chap was quite right," said Lord Horace, "and he made me feel ashamed of myself. Handles should be dropped in a free country, especially when they're only handles by courtesy."
CHAPTER XXVI.
"COPY" FOR LADY WAVERYNG.
The Waveryngs were a success. Ina was perhaps happier with "Em Waveryng" than she had been during her short married life. Em was sweet, warm-hearted, and utterly without affectation. She had no nonsense about her, and in spite of her weak devotion to Lord Horace, she was not by any means blind to his faults. She was, however, like a doting mother who pardons everything to her darling, and is prepared in the long run to uphold his vagaries. Lady Waveryng. notwithstanding, found it a little difficult to pardon Lord Horace for Mrs. Allanby.
She was sufficiently ill-advised to speak to Ina on the subject of Lord Horace's flirtation. But Ina would have none of it. She was exaggerated in her defence of her husband. Lady Waveryng reported what she had said to her brother, and Lord Horace went in a shame-faced kind of way to his wife.
"Ern says you have been fightin' for me like a bantam hen for her chick," he said. "Don't do that, my dear. You may come to find that I don't deserve it."
Something in his tone struck Ina.
"Why do you say that, Horace?" she said.
"Because it's true. I'm a bad lot—always was. You know I told you before I married you that I couldn't see a pretty woman without wanting to flirt with her."
"Yes, I know you did. And I don't mind in the least your flirting with Mrs. Allanby."
"By Jove, I see that plainly enough," he answered sulki-
