"It was a near thing," he says, as if he were reading her thoughts.
"Yes," and she smiles; "I don't know how you managed it."
He laughs light-heartedly.
"It was done by force of arms. I meant you—I mean Mr. Lisle—to go, and when I mean a thing I'm hard to obstruct."
"This is rather a grand turn-out, Yorke," remarks the duke. "May one ask where and how you got it? It doesn't look like a hired affair."
"It isn't," he replies. "When I got to Northcliffe I ran against little Vinson, who appears to be staying there. The wagon was standing outside and he asked me if I would like to go for a drive. I said I should if he'd let me have the horses and not ask to go with me. He stared for a minute, then he took off his gloves, and—here you are, you know."
"Wasn't that rather cool?" asks the duke.
Yorke laughs.
"Oh, he's a good-natured little chap, and didn't seem to mind. Said he'd go for a sail instead."
"He must be very good-natured," said Leslie, smiling in spite of herself.