Lecount to any desperate extremities. "Why take strong measures
when mild measures will do? Mrs. Lecount is an old servant; Mrs.
Lecount is attached and useful. She has this little drawback of
jealousy--jealousy of her domestic position with her bachelor master.
She sees you paying courteous attention to a handsome young lady; she
sees that young lady properly sensible of your politeness; and, poor
soul, she loses her temper! What is the obvious remedy? Humor her--make
a manly concession to the weaker sex. If Mrs. Lecount is with you, the
next time we meet on the Parade, walk the other way. If Mrs. Lecount
is not with you, give us the pleasure of your company by all means. In
short, my dear sir, try the _suaviter in modo_ (as we classical men say)
before you commit yourself to the _fortiter in re!"_
There was one excellent reason why Noel Vanstone should take Captain
Wragge's conciliatory advice. An open rupture with Mrs. Lecount--even
if he could have summoned the courage to face it--would imply the
recognition of her claims to a provision, in acknowledgment of the
services she had rendered to his father and to himself. His sordid
nature quailed within him at the bare prospect of expressing the
emotion of gratitude in a pecuniary form; and, after first consulting
appearances by a show of hesitation, he consented to adopt the captain's
suggestion, and to humor Mrs.
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