"That without any apparent trouble she can make her clothes look better than anybody I know."
Lord Semingham laughed; even Adela and Tom smiled.
"What a blessed irrelevance you have, my dear," said Semingham, stroking his wife's small hand.
Lady Semingham smiled delightedly and blushed prettily. She enjoyed Alfred's praise. He was so difficile as a rule. The exact point of the word "irrelevance" she did not stay to consider; she had evidently said something that pleased him. A moment later she rose with a smile, crying,
"Why, Mr. Ruston, how good of you to come round so early!"
Willie Ruston shook hands with her in hasty politeness. A nod to Semingham, a lift of the hat to Adela, left him face to face with Tom Loring, who got up slowly.
"Ah, Loring, how are you?" said Willie holding out his hand. "Young Val told me you were to arrive to-day. How did you get across? Uncommon foggy, wasn't it?"
By this time he had taken Tom's hand and shaken it, Tom being purely passive.
"By the way, you're all wrong about the water, you know," he continued, in sudden remembrance. "There's enough water to supply Manchester within ten miles of Fort Imperial. What? Why, man, I'll show you the report when we get back to town; good water, too. I had it analysed, and—well, it's all right; but I haven't time to talk about it now. The fact is, Semingham, I came round to tell you that I'm off."
"Off?" exclaimed Semingham, desperately fumbling for his eyeglass.