“Have you little brothers? Then you will know just what to buy for this child!” Arabella said. “A warm jacket, and some smalls, and a shirt—oh, and some shoes and stockings! Wait! I will give you the money, and you shall go and procure the things immediately!”

“If you please, miss,” said Becky firmly, “I think I ought to help you wash him first.” She added sapiently: “Likely he’ll struggle, miss—not being used to it.”

She was quite right. Jemmy fought like a tiger to defend his person from the intended rape, and was deaf alike to coaxings and to reassurances. But the two damsels before him had not helped to bring up their respective young brothers for nothing. They stripped Jemmy of his rags, heedless of his sobs and his protests, and they dumped him, wildly kicking, in the bath, and ruthlessly washed every inch of his emaciated small person.

It was not to be expected that Jemmy’s howls would not be heard beyond the confines of the room. They were lusty, and they penetrated to Lady Bridlington’s ears. It was inconceivable to the good lady that they could really be emanating from within her house, as they seemed to be, and she was just about to ring her bell, and desire Clara Crowle to send away whatever child it was who was screaming in the street, when the howls ceased (Jemmy had been lifted out of the bath, and wrapped in a warm towel), and she sank back again in her bed. Not long after this. Miss Crowle came softly in with her breakfast-tray, and the pleasing intelligence that Miss Arabella was out of her mind, and had got a dirty little boy in her room, and wouldn’t let him go, not whatever anyone said. Hardly had her ladyship grasped the essential points of the story poured into her bemused ears than Arabella herself came in. Her visit made it necessary for Miss Crowle to revive her mistress with a hartshorn-and-water, and to burn pastilles, for it brought on a nervous spasm of alarming intensity. Lady Bridlington now understood that she was expected not only to house a boy picked out of the gutter, but to pursue his late master by every means in her power. Arabella talked of the Law, and of magistrates; of cruelties which made it almost impossible for Lady Bridlington even to swallow her coffee; and of what Papa would say must be done in so shocking a case. Lady Bridlington moaned, and said faintly: “But you cannot! The boy must be given back to his master! You don’t understand these things!”

“Cannot?” cried Arabella, her eyes flashing. “Cannot, ma’am? I beg your pardon, but it is you who have not understood! When you have seen the dreadful marks on the poor little soul’s back—and his ribs almost breaking through his skin!—you will not talk so!”

“No, no, Arabella, for heaven’s sake—!” begged her godmother. “I won’t have you bring him in here! Where is Frederick? My dear, of course it is all very dreadful, and we will see what can be done, but do, pray, wait until I am dressed! Clara, where is his lordship?”

“His lordship, my lady,” responded Clara with relish, “having partaken of his breakfast, has gone riding in the Park, as is his custom. His lordship’s gentleman happening to mention that Miss had a climbing-boy in her room, his lordship said as how he must be sent off at once.”

“Well, he will not be!” said Arabella, not mincing matters.

Lady Bridlington, reflecting that it was just like Frederick to issue orders in this foolish style, and leave others to see them carried out, decided to postpone any further discussion until he should be present to lend her his support. She persuaded Arabella to go away, looked with distaste at her breakfast tray, and begged Clara, in a failing voice, to give her her smelling-salts.

When Lord Bridlington returned from his morning exercise, he was displeased to learn that nothing had so far been done about the climbing-boy, except that Miss had sent one of the under-servants out to buy him a suit of clothes. He was still frowning over this when his Mama came downstairs, and almost fell upon his neck. “Thank heaven you are come at last!” she uttered. “What can have induced you to go out with the house in this uproar? I am driven nearly distracted! She wants me to employ the boy as a page!”

Frederick led her firmly into the saloon on the ground-floor, and shut the door upon the interested butler. He then demanded an explanation of an affair which he said he was at a loss to understand. His mother was in the middle of giving him one when Arabella came into the room, leading the washed and clothed Jemmy by the hand.

“Good-morning, Lord Bridlington!” she said calmly. “I am glad you are come home, for you will best be able to help me to decide what I ought to do with Jemmy here.”

“I can certainly do so, Miss Tallant,” he answered. “The boy must of course go back where he belongs. It was most improper of you, if you will permit me to say so, to interfere between him and his master.”

He encountered a look which surprised him. “I do not permit anyone, Lord Bridlington, to tell me that in rescuing a helpless child from the brutality of a monster I am doing what is improper!” said Arabella.

“No, no, my dear, of course not!” hastily interposed Lady Bridlington. “Frederick did not mean—But you see, there is nothing one can do in these sad cases! That is—I am sure Frederick will speak to the man-give him a good fright, you know!”

“Really, Mama—”

“And Jemmy?” demanded Arabella. “What will you do with him?”

His lordship looked distastefully at the candidate for his protection. Jemmy had been well scrubbed, but not the most thorough application of soap and water could turn him into a well-favoured child. He had a sharp little face, a wide mouth, from which a front tooth was missing, and a very snub nose. His short, ragged hair was perfectly straight, and his ears showed a tendency to stick out from his head.

“I do not know what you expect me to do!” said his lordship fretfully. “If you had any knowledge of the laws governing apprentices, my dear Miss Tallant, you would know that it is quite impossible to steal this boy away from his master!”

“When the master of an apprentice misuses a boy as this child has been misused,” retorted Papa’s daughter, “he renders himself liable to prosecution! What is more, this man knows it, and I assure you he does not expect to have Jemmy returned to him!”

“I suppose you think I should adopt the boy!” said Frederick, goaded.

“No, I do not think that,” replied Arabella, her voice a little unsteady. “I only think that you might—show some compassion for one so wretchedly circumstanced!”

Frederick coloured hotly. “Well, of course I am excessively sorry, but—”

“Do you know that his master lights a fire in the grate beneath him, to force him up the chimney?” interrupted Arabella.

“Well, I don’t suppose he would go up if—Yes, yes, shocking, I know, but chimneys must be swept, after all, or what would become of us all?”

“Oh, that Papa were here!” Arabella cried. “I see that it is useless to talk to you, for you are selfish and heartless, and you care for nothing but your own comfort!”

It was at this inopportune moment that the door was opened, and the butler announced two morning-callers. He afterwards explained this lapse, which he felt quite as acutely as his mistress, by saying that he had supposed Miss to be still upstairs with That Boy. Frederick made a hasty gesture indicative of his desire that the visitors should be excluded, but it was too late. Lord Fleetwood and Mr. Beaumaris walked into the room.

Their reception was unusual. Lady Bridlington gave vent to an audible moan; her son stood rooted to the floor in the middle of the room, his face flushed, and his whole appearance that of a man who had been stuffed; and Miss Tallant, also very much flushed, bit her lip, and turned on her heel, leading a small urchin over to a chair by the wall, and bidding him gently to sit down on it, and to be a good boy.

Lord Fleetwood blinked upon this scene; Mr. Beaumaris’s brows went up, but he gave no other sign of surprise, merely bowing over Lady Bridlington’s nerveless hand, and saying: “How do you do? I trust we don’t intrude? I called in the hope of persuading Miss Tallant to drive to the Botanical Gardens with me. They tell me the spring flowers are quite a sight there.”

“You are very obliging, sir,” said Arabella curtly, “but I have more important affairs to attend to this morning.”

Lady Bridlington pulled herself together. “My love, we can discuss all that later! I am sure it would do you good to take the air! Do but send that—that child down to the kitchen, and—”

Thank you, ma’am, but I do not stir from the house until I have settled what is to be done with Jemmy.”

Lord Fleetwood, who had been regarding Jemmy with frank curiosity, said: “Jemmy, eh? Er—friend of yours, Miss Tallant?”

“No. He is a climbing-boy who came by mistake down the chimney of my bedchamber,” Arabella replied. “He has been most shamefully used, and he is only a child, as you may see—I daresay not more than seven or eight years old!”

The warmth of her feelings brought a distinct tremor into her voice. Mr. Beaumaris looked curiously at her.

“No, really?” said Lord Fleetwood, with easy sympathy. “Well, that’s a great deal too bad! Shocking brutes, some of these chimney-sweeps! Ought to be sent to gaol!”

She said impulsively: “Yes, that is what I have been telling Lord Bridlington, only he seems not to have the least understanding!”

“Arabella!” implored Lady Bridlington. “Lord Fleetwood can have no interest in such matters!”

“Oh, I assure you, ma’am!” said his lordship. “I am interested in anything that interests Miss Tallant! Rescued the child, did you? Well, upon my soul, I call it a devilish fine thing to do! Not as though he was a taking brat, either!”