)
to spare himself the trouble of a visit to Bevisham.
    The young gentleman whom he regarded as the Radical doctor's dupe, fell in
for a share of his view of the doctor, and Mr. Romfrey became less fitted to
observe Nevil Beauchamp's doings with the Olympian gravity he had originally
assumed.
    The extreme delicacy of Rosamund's conscience was fretted by a remorseful
doubt of her having conveyed a just impression of Dr. Shrapnel, somewhat as
though the sleek fine coat of it were brushed the wrong way. Reflection warned
her that her deliberative intensely sincere pause before she responded to Mr.
Romfrey's last demand, might have implied more than her words. She consoled
herself with the thought that it was the dainty susceptibility of her
conscientiousness which caused these noble qualms, and so deeply does a refined
nature esteem the gift, that her pride in it helped her to overlook her moral
perturbation. She was consoled, moreover, up to the verge of triumph in her
realization of the image of a rivalling and excelling power presented by Mr.
Romfrey, though it had frightened her at the time. Let not Dr. Shrapnel come
across him! She hoped he would not. Ultimately she could say to herself,
»Perhaps I need not have been so annoyed with the horrid man.« It was on Nevil's
account. Shrapnel's contempt of the claims of Nevil's family upon him was
actually a piece of impudence, impudently expressed, if she remembered
correctly. And Shrapnel was a black malignant, the foe of the nation's
Constitution, deserving of punishment if ever man was; with his ridiculous
metaphors, and talk of organs and pianos, orchestras and despotisms, and flying
to the sun! How could Nevil listen to the creature! Shrapnel must be a shameless
hypocrite to mask his wickedness from one so clear-sighted as Nevil, and no
doubt he indulged in his impudence out of wanton pleasure in it. His business
was to catch young gentlemen of family, and to turn them against their families,
plainly. That was thinking the best of him. No doubt he had his objects to gain.
»He might have been as impudent as he liked to me; I would have pardoned him!«
Rosamund exclaimed. Personally, you see, she was generous. On the whole, knowing
Everard Romfrey as she did, she wished that she had behaved, albeit perfectly
discreet in her behaviour, and conscientiously just, a shade or two differently.
But the evil was done.
 

                                  Chapter XIV

                   The Leading Article and Mr. Timothy Turbot

Nevil declined to