“No; my father,” reddening like a girl. “You know he lives within forty miles of this, and that was what made me so keen to come to Shirani.”
“Yes, I understand perfectly; and so keen to stay!”
“I wrote to him,” ignoring this innuendo, “and said I would wait on here till October, hoping to see him.”
“You’ll never see him,” now bringing a volume of smoke down his nostrils.
“Time will tell—I hope I shall.”
“And time stands still for no man! The Athertons and Miss Potter start in ten days, and I shall accompany them; there is nothing like travelling with a young lady for advancing one’s interests—as you know, my boy. Now, don’t be angry. Yes, I’m off. I’m not heir to a millionaire, and I must consult my interests. If you will take my advice, you will join the little party.”
“No, thank you; I shall stay here.”
“Do you mean to say that you will stick to this dead-and-alive place for the next four months?”
“I do—at any rate till my father sends for me”—and he paused for a second—“or until the end of the season.”
“In fact, in plain English, until the Brandes go down,” repeated Clarence significantly; and rising, and tossing away the end of his cigarette, he strolled over to the adjacent mess.