“Great heaven!” he exclaimed, irritably. “I have traveled half round the globe several times without your assistance, and I cannot conceive why you should consider it necessary to bore yourself, and me, too, by coming across the channel.”
“You forget that you have been ill, sir,” said Cecil, quietly, “and that it is my duty to see that your journey is made as comfortably as possible.”
“Thanks,” retorted the marquis. “It’s a pity you couldn’t have arranged a calm passage; but you couldn’t do that, and for the life of me I can’t think of anything else you can do. Good-by. Don’t trouble to write, I hate reading letters when I am abroad.”
And this, with a cold touch of his thin hand, comprised his adieu to his nephew and heir!
CHAPTER XXXII.
“I LOVE HIM STILL.”
“Really, that was a very good idea of Mr. Spenser Churchill’s,” said Lady Despard, looking round her, as she leaned over the bridge which spans the river running sleepily down to the sea. “I should never have thought of coming to Pescia, but, then, I never have any ideas of any sort, and Mr. Spenser Churchill is so clever, isn’t he, Mr. Levant?” she added, turning her head lazily to where Percy Levant sat upon the stone coping of the bridge, looking down at the river, and now and again glancing at the face of Doris, who stood with her eyes fixed dreamily upon the perfect blue of the skies.
“Oh, yes, he is very clever,” he assented, quietly; “very.”
“And I really think the change is doing Doris good,” continued her ladyship, looking admiringly at the ivory pale face and dark blue eyes; “I think she is better. Not much to boast of in the way of color, perhaps, but we have only been here ten days, and you never do run to color, do you, Doris?”
Doris started.