‘They said it was accidental death, and something about more care being taken and valuable lives endangered.’
‘And Alexis White—’
‘Oh! there was a great bother about his not being there. They said it looked very bad; but they could not find him.’
‘Not find him! Oh! Where is Cousin Rotherwood?’
‘He is coming home, and he said I might run on, and tell you that if you had time to come in to the hotel he would tell you about it.’
With which invitation Miss Mohun hastened to comply; Gillian was ardent to come too, and it seemed cruel to prevent her; but, besides that Jane thought that her cousin might be tired enough to make his wife wish him to see as few people as possible, she was not sure that Gillian might not show suspicious agitation, and speech and action would not be free in her presence. So the poor girl was left to extract what she could from her little brother, which did not amount to much.
It was a propitious moment, for Jane met Lord Rotherwood at the door of the hotel, parting with Mr. White; she entered with him, and his wife, after satisfying herself that he was not the worse for his exertions, was not sorry that he should have his cousin to keep him quiet in his easy-chair while she went off to answer a pile of letters which had just been forwarded from home.
‘Well, Jenny,’ he said, ‘I am afraid your protege does not come out of it very well; that is, if he is your protege. He must be an uncommonly foolish young man.’
‘I reserve myself on that point. But is it true that he never appeared?’
‘Quite true.’