It was a clear strong voice, and the speaker abused
the groom's female relations to the fourth and fifth generations with
considerable command of the Hindustani language. Miss Westonhaugh, who
had not been in the country long, did not understand a word of the very
free swearing that was going on in the woods, but Isaacs looked annoyed,
and I registered a black mark against the name of the new-comer, whoever
he might be.
"Oh! it is Lord Steepleton," said the young girl. "He seems to be always
having a row with his servants. Don't go," she went on as I took up my
hat; "he is such a good fellow, you ought to know him."
Lord Steepleton Kildare now appeared at the corner of the lawn, hotly
pursued by his breathless groom, who had been loitering on the way, and
had thus roused his master's indignation. He was, as I have said, a fine
specimen of a young Englishman, though being Irish by descent he would
have indignantly denied any such nationality. I saw when he had
dismounted that he was tall and straight, though not a very heavily
built man. He carried his head high, and looked every inch a soldier as
he strode across the grass, carefully avoiding the pegs of the tennis
net. He wore a large gray felt hat, like every one else, and he shook
hands all round before he took it off, and settled himself in an easy
chair as near as he could get to Miss Westonhaugh's hammock.
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