"I have."
"And her father, have you seen him?"
"No, but I hope soon to do so. From what I have heard, he is a man whom it would be a proud privilege to call friend."
Mr. Weston made a movement of uneasiness.
"The subject annoys me," he said, "let us cease discussing it."
"We have no time to continue it," said Gideon Rowe, glancing at the clock, "or, despite your wish, I should not allow it to drop. We ourselves were young once, and looked at things with different eyes from those with which we view them now."
"How near to the time is it?"
"But one minute."
During this minute there was silence in the room. Michael Lee's voice was not heard. Mr. Weston moved slowly to the head of the table. The attendants stood in silence behind the empty chairs. Presently the clock struck the hour of seven. As the sound of the last stroke was dying away, Gideon Rowe said to Mr. Steele:
"Serve the dinner."