And Peters went off into a roar over the recollection.
Chapter Five.
Ancram—Prospectless.
In crediting his unwelcome guest with a desire to ‘take over the whole show,’ Lamont was stating no more than was warranted by fact. For Ancram had made himself rather more than very much at home, to such an extent indeed that he might have been the owner of the place. Further, he had adopted a kind of elder-brotherly tone towards Lamont, and a patronising one towards Peters: and of this, and of him altogether, small wonder that both men were already thoroughly sick. Moreover, he showed not the slightest symptom of moving on.
As a sacrifice on the sacred altar of hospitality Lamont had conscientiously striven to conceal his dislike for the man, had even gone out of the way in order to make time pass pleasantly for him, in pursuance of which idea he had stood from him what he would have stood from nobody else. All of which Ancram put down to a wrong motive, and made himself more objectionable still.
“What are your plans, Ancram?” said Lamont, the day after the foregoing conversation.
“Oh, my dear fellow, it’s so jolly here with you I hadn’t begun to think of any.”
Lamont’s face was stony grim in its effort to repress a frown.