Spenser Churchill sipped his brandy and water.
“Well, the case stood thus: The girl was engaged to the fellow Jeffrey. Consequently there was no chance for me. So, my dear Percy, I decided, as most men of common sense would have decided, to—ahem!—assist the marquis. I did so, and, bewildered and fascinated by the offer of a marchioness’ coronet, Lucy accepted and married the marquis. The result was—er—rather disastrous. With all respect to my dear friend, the marquis, I must say, my dear Percy, that if ever there was a fiend incarnate he was one! I don’t wish to be hard upon a fellow mortal—Heaven forbid!—but if there is anything worse, more cruel and selfish and altogether unscrupulous than a fiend, then that being may yield the palm to the Most Honorable the Marquis of Stoyle!”
The marquis, shaking in every limb with fury, clutched Cecil’s arm, who, with some difficulty restrained him from rushing upon the oily-voiced speaker.
“Well, the natural result followed. The marchioness fled. Where, and to whom? Why, to her former lover, Jeffrey Flint. No, my dear Percy, her conduct was blameless. She died within a few hours after reaching him. She died, but she left a child, a girl, behind. That girl Jeffrey Flint adopted and called—can you guess her name?”
“Doris Marlowe,” said Percy Levant, hoarsely, and with white lips—for this was a revelation to him.
Spenser Churchill lolled back in his chair with an unctuous smile of enjoyment.
“Right! Quite right, my dear Percy! Doris Marlowe! That is—ah, ah!—Mrs. Percy Levant!”
The marquis staggered, and clutched at Lord Cecil, and Lady Grace was rushing forward, but Cecil raised his hand, and, holding her face in her hands, she sank back.
“So Doris Marlowe is the daughter of the Marquis of Stoyle?” said Percy Levant.
“Just so,” assented Spenser Churchill. “And now, my dear Percy, that cat is out of the bag; the daughter of the Marquis of Stoyle—in other words, Lady Mary Neville! And the money! Well, I think you won’t regret your liberal offer when I tell you that her mother’s portion amounts to five-and-twenty thousand a year, and that her father has made a will which will leave all he can leave to her.”