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She taught them many things and, prominently, Deceit, Hate, and an utter dislike of her God and her Religion a most disastrous pair. Poor old "Grumper"; advertising, he got her, paid her highly, and gave her almost absolute control of the minds, souls, and bodies of his young wards and "grandchildren".
"What should I have cared if every soul in the world who knows me had arranged himself and herself in rows and ranks to get a good view? I'd have done the same if Grumper had been beside me in the carriage. What is the rest of the World to me, beside you, darling?... Oh, your poor hair, and what is that horrid scar, my dearest? And you are a '2 Q.G. are you, and how soon may you marry?
"I didn't know anything about the fearful fracass until tea-time," continued Lucille, "and then I went straight to Grumper and confessed, and he sent me to bed on an empty stummick and I laid upon it, the bed I mean, and howled all night, or part of it anyhow. I howled for your sake, not for the empty stummick.
She gave him a beautiful veneration for woman that no other woman was capable of destroying though one or two did their best. Then the sad-eyed lady was superseded and her professional successor, Miss Smellie, the governess, finding the boy loved the Sword, asked Grumper to lock it away for the boy's Good. Also she got Grumper to dismiss Nurse Beaton for impudence and not "knowing her place".
No, it wouldn't be the straight thing and decent at all, to propose to her now. How would Grumper view such a step? What had he to offer her? What was he? Just a penniless orphan. Apart from Grumper's generosity he owned a single five-pound note in money. Never won a scholarship or exam-prize in his life.
Get out of it, you decayed gentlewoman!" ... The General bade fair to have a fit of his own. Lucille flung herself at him. "Can't you see he's very ill, Grumper? Have you no heart at all? Don't be so cruel ... and ... stupid." The General gasped.... Insults!... From a chit of a girl!... "Ill!" he roared. "What the Devil does he want to be ill for now, here, to-day? I never ..."
Apparently the Haddock realized the fact for he skipped backward with agility. "He is ill, Grumper dear," she said instead. "He has had a kind of fit. Perhaps he had sunstroke in India, and it has just affected him now in the sun...." Grumper achieved the snort of his life.
"Help me carry him indoors, somebody," said the miserable, horrified Lucille. That would get rid of the silly staring "helpers" anyhow even if it brought matters to the notice of Grumper, who frankly despised and detested any kind of sick person or invalid. What would he say and do? What had happened to the glowing, glorious world that five minutes ago was fairy-land and paradise?
Could she love him in spite of all? She was great-hearted enough for anything. Perhaps for anything but that. To her, cowardice must be the last lowest depths of degradation. Anyhow he had done the straight thing by Grumper, in leaving the house without any attempt to let her know, to say farewell, to ask her to believe in him for a while.
" ... Grumper means it most kindly but ... we want you to ourselves the last day or two ... anyhow...." "D'you want me to yourself, Piggy-wee?" asked Dam, trying to speak lightly and off-handedly. "Of course I do, you Ass. Shan't see you for centuries and months. Nothing to do but weep salt tears till Christmas. Go into a decline or a red nose very likely.
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