As the carriage passed, Cissie’s door opened, and a gentleman came out of her.
“Stop!” cried Mrs. Honeychurch, touching the coachman with her parasol. “Here’s Sir Harry. Now we shall know. Sir Harry, pull those things down at once!”
Sir Harry Otway—who need not be described—came to the carriage and said “ Mrs. Honeychurch, I meant to. I can’t, I really can’t turn out Miss Flack.”
“Am I not always right? She ought to have gone before the contract was signed. Does she still live rent free, as she did in her nephew’s time?”
“But what can I do?” He lowered his voice. “An old lady, so very vulgar, and almost bedridden.”
“Turn her out,” said Cecil bravely.
Sir Harry sighed, and looked at the villas mournfully. He had had full warning of Mr. Flack’s intentions, and might have bought the plot before building commenced: but he was apathetic and dilatory. He had known Summer Street for so many years that he could not imagine it being spoilt. Not till Mrs. Flack had laid the foundation stone, and the apparition of red and cream brick began to rise did he take alarm. He called on Mr. Flack, the local builder—a most reasonable and respectful man—who agreed that tiles would have made more artistic roof, but pointed out that slates were cheaper. He ventured to differ, however, about the Corinthian columns which were to cling like leeches to the frames of the bow windows, saying that, for his part, he liked to relieve the façade by a bit of decoration. Sir Harry hinted that a column, if possible, should be structural as well as decorative.
Mr. Flack replied that all the columns had been ordered, adding, “and all the capitals different—one with dragons in the foliage, another