Why had Lady
Augusta not brought them up to better habits? Why should they come down
on a Sunday morning more untidy than on other mornings? They would have
told you, had you asked the question, that on other mornings they must
be ready to hasten to their daily occupations. Had _Sunday_ no
occupation, then? Did it deserve no marked deference? Had I been Lady
Augusta Yorke, I should have said to Roland that morning, when I saw
his slip-shod slippers and his collarless neck, "If you can show no
respect for me, show it for the day."
Half-past ten struck, and Lady Augusta started up to fly to her own
room. She had still much to do, ere she could be presentable for
college. Caroline followed. Fanny wondered what Gerald and Tod would
do. Not yet down!
"Those boys will get a tanning, to-morrow, from old Pye!" exclaimed
Roland, remembering the time when "tannings" had been his portion for
the same fault. "Go and see what they are after, Martha."
They were "after" jumping up in alarm, aroused by the college bell.
Amidst wild confusion, for nothing seemed to be at hand, with harsh
reproaches to Martha, touching their shirts and socks, and other
articles of attire, they scrambled downstairs, somehow, and flew out of
the house on their way to the college schoolroom; Gerald drinking a
freshly made scalding cup of coffee; Tod cramming a thick piece of
bread and butter into his pocket, and trusting to some spare moment to
eat it in.
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