"All very well, my lord," replied the earl, who ever treated
Lord de Mowbray with a certain degree of ceremony, especially
when the descendant of the crusaders affected the familiar.
There was something of a Puck-like malignity in the
temperament of Lord Marney, which exhibited itself in a
remarkable talent for mortifying persons in a small way; by a
gesture, an expression, a look, cloaked too very often with
all the character of profound deference. The old nobility of
Spain delighted to address each other only by their names,
when in the presence of a spick-and-span grandee; calling each
other, "Infantado," "Sidonia," "Ossuna," and then turning
round with the most distinguished consideration, and appealing
to the Most Noble Marquis of Ensenada.
"They begin to get a little uneasy here," said Lord de
Mowbray.
"We have nothing to complain of," said Lord Marney. "We
continue reducing the rates, and as long as we do that the
country must improve. The workhouse test tells. We had the
other day a case of incendiarism, which frightened some
people: but I inquired into it, and am quite satisfied it
originated in purely accidental circumstances; at least
nothing to do with wages.
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