"If there's anything up, she's a cool hand," thought Belfield. "You must try to distract his thoughts," he told her.
"I try to let them see as little of me as possible."
"Too complete a realization of matrimonial solitude à deux before marriage—Is that advisable?"
"You put too difficult questions for a poor spinster to answer, Mr. Belfield."
He got nothing out of her, but from the corner of his eye he saw Harry watching him as he talked to Isobel. Turning his head sharply, he met his son's glance full and straight. Harry dropped his eyes suddenly, and again drank off his champagne. Belfield looked sideways at the composed lady on his right, and pursed up his lips a little.
Wellgood stayed with him to-night after dinner, the young men joining the ladies in the garden for coffee.
"Our friend Miss Vintry's in great good looks to-night, Wellgood. Remarkably handsome girl!"
"That dress suits her very well. I thought so myself," Wellgood agreed, well-pleased to have his secret choice thus endorsed.
Belfield knew nothing of his secret, nothing of his plans. He was only trying to find out whether Vivien's father were fully at his ease; of Isobel's lover and his ease he took no account.
"Upon my word," he laughed, "if I were engaged, even to a girl as charming as your Vivien, I should almost feel it an injury to have another as attractive about all day. 'How happy could I be with either—!' you know. The unregenerate man in one would feel that good material was being wasted; and my boy used to be rather unregenerate, I'm afraid."