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Updated: June 20, 2025
"Ah," returned her husband, turning away and gazing admiringly at a bull by Potter. He was as wise as he had been before; for the jargon of Art and fashionable society was not one of his accomplishments. "I tell you who would be a good judge," put in Mr. Paxhorn. The rest turned inquiring eyes on him. "Who?" asked Lord Standon. "Adrien Leroy.
"Nor I," echoed the others. Adrien lit another cigar, and the light fell full on his grave face. "The losses are heavy all round; yet, speaking for myself," he said, "I would have rather dropped treble the amount than that poor fellow should have lost his life by a horse of mine." "His own fault. It was absolutely a case of suicide," declared Lord Standon angrily.
"I should say it was about time that Miss Crawford did shut up, if she couldn't manage her young ladies better. I sent my Lydia to a boarding-school once, but it was one of a different kind to that. Pretty goings on there were at Standon Square, I'll be bound, if we only knew the truth. But as far as this goes there ain't no great harm done, that I can see.
Naturally, if he had stopped to consider, he would have realised that there must be some mistake; for Standon would hardly have spoken thus of Lord Barminster in his son's presence. But what lover ever does use his common sense? He drew himself up sternly, and Standon could have kicked himself for his unfortunate speech. "I don't mean that is it's not your fault " he stammered.
With which he went back to his own apartments. Left alone once more, Adrien walked restlessly to and fro. "If Constance really cared for me," he said to himself, "nothing else in the world would matter. Lucky Standon! I dare not think of the future, it what Jasper said was true." At last he, too, returned to his room; but it was almost morning before he fell into a troubled slumber.
She laughed, and blushed a little, then turned to the other members of the party, who had now alighted from the car. "Ah, Lord Standon, I did not know you were coming." Then, as that young man's face lengthened, she added quickly: "Unexpected pleasures are always welcome. I am glad to see you, Mr. Paxhorn."
He was attached to his friend Leroy, and did not see why he should be blamed unnecessarily. "Yes," he replied; "the strangest part of it all was the way the poor fellow raved at Vermont." "What do you mean?" asked Lady Merivale, sharply. "We were all standing round him," explained Lord Standon, "and when Vermont came up the man seemed to go off his head, and practically said he had sold the race.
As Lord Standon had said, few knew his origin or his business; but, in reality, his antecedents were of a very ordinary nature.
"I am sure the horse would have won had it not been for Adrien's ill-timed generosity." "What was that?" inquired Lady Merivale, looking keenly over at him. "He gave the jockey a ten-pound note the night before the race; and, of course, the fellow got drunk and pulled the 'King' up at the last fence." "And lost his life, did he not?" asked one of the artists. Lord Standon nodded, thoughtfully.
All that day he had watched Lady Constance with an unceasing vigilance, of which, fortunately, she was unaware; but he could detect no traces of affection in her intercourse with Lord Standon, nor could he find any reason for his son's despair.
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