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It seemed as if he were blind in more than one direction; for at that minute Leroy himself crossed the room, with an aspect that, in any other man, would have been termed glum. The sight of the girl with whom he was so rapidly falling in love, sitting in rapt conversation with Lord Standon even though that young man was his friend had roused a strong feeling of resentment within his heart.
What possible benefit can accrue to a town or neighbourhood near which the railway passes, but where there is no station? Can it encourage the trade of such a town as Dangley or Standon to know, that the five or six thousand beings who are whirled past them, with almost invisible rapidity, every day, arrive in Liverpool in ten hours after leaving London?
"Impossible, sir!" he exclaimed. "Would to heaven it were true; for I know no other woman to whom I would so gladly devote my life." The grim old face softened and relaxed. He had not expected such an overwhelming victory. "Why do you say it is impossible?" he asked. Adrien did not answer for a moment, then he slip hoarsely: "She is already engaged to Lord Standon."
Standon, who was on the point of joining an exploring expedition in South Africa. He gladly consented to accompany him. There was but little preparation needed. Four days after the never-to-be-forgotten garden scene, Ronald Earle left Italy and became a wanderer upon the face of the earth. Valentine Charteris never told the secret.
He did not guess that Constance's very openly expressed pleasure in the company of Lord Standon was to prevent the discovery of her real and passionate longing for that of her cousin. Henceforth, he told himself, he must do his best to hide the pain that was gnawing at his heart. Henceforward, the pleasure of life would be as Dead Sea fruit to him.
His fingers were in his waistcoat-pocket, and some coins that chinked agreeably were transferred to her hand, together with the sealed letter. "You've saved me a walk to Standon Square," he said. The girl laughed, looking down at her money: "It wouldn't have hurt you, I dare say. You oughtn't to make much of a walk there. How about an answer?" "Oh, I shall get an answer when I come to-morrow."
"Quite right, my dear," replied Lord Barminster, patting her hand reassuringly. For a few minutes there was silence. His lordship drank his coffee, while his companion stared dreamily through the window at the magnificent view of park and woods. The old man was the first to speak. "We shall miss Lord Standon," he said, with a meaning glance at her.
"Hem! well, I suppose it's the truth; though, of course, all moneylenders are rogues and you're only a moneylender, you know." He looked up for a moment to laugh at the logical joke. "Who backs his paper? Lord Standon. Oh, my lord is pretty deep in our books already, isn't he? Where are his statistics?" "Here, sir," said Harker, taking one of the papers from the heap.
"Has there been a luncheon party?" queried Mr. Vermont. "Yes, sir," answered Norgate aggrievedly; "Mr. Shelton, Lord Standon and Mr. Paxhorn." "And bridge?" murmured Mr. Vermont inquiringly. "Yes, sir; and from what I heard, I believe Mr. Leroy lost." "Ah," commented the other softly, "I fear Mr. Leroy always does lose, doesn't he?"
"Society has many brighter lights than I, Adrien," she said quietly. "But now, tell me about the race auntie is terribly anxious over it; are you not, dear?" "Yes, my love," returned Miss Penelope, who, in reality, hardly knew one horse from another. "Oh, Adrien always wins," put in Lord Standon. "That's a foregone conclusion. Have you seen the 'King' lately, Lady Constance?"
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