Kay's baby's fits. There was no talking politics with her, because she
was so ignorant that she always agreed with everything he said.
He even grew to find luncheon and Miss Monro not unpleasant varieties to
his monotonous _tete-a-tetes_. Then came the walk, generally to the town
to fetch Mr. Wilkins from his office; and once or twice it was pretty
evident how he had been employing his hours. One day in particular his
walk was so unsteady and his speech so thick, that Ralph could only
wonder how it was that Ellinor did not perceive the cause; but she was
too openly anxious about the headache of which her father complained to
have been at all aware of the previous self-indulgence which must have
brought it on. This very afternoon, as ill-luck would have it, the Duke
of Hinton and a gentleman whom Ralph had met in town at Lord Bolton's
rode by, and recognised him; saw Ralph supporting a tipsy man with such
quiet friendly interest as must show all passers-by that they were
previous friends. Mr. Corbet chafed and fumed inwardly all the way home
after this unfortunate occurrence; he was in a thoroughly evil temper
before they reached Ford Bank, but he had too much self-command to let
this be very apparent. He turned into the shrubbery paths, leaving
Ellinor to take her father into the quietness of his own room, there to
lie down and shake off his headache.
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