“Really?” said the marquess; “but one could hardly expect such a literary effort from you. Aunt Rica, may I introduce Bridge, I don’t think you know each other. Sir Algernon Bridge—Lady Frederica Verney—Miss Lisle. Now, my dear chap, you’d better go and dine. Braemuir, you’ll look after him, as I can’t, won’t you?”
Lord Braemuir had been standing apart since the entrance of this fresh guest, with an unusually grave expression on his good-humoured face.
At St. Quentin’s words he came slowly forward, and gave his hand to the new-comer, still without a smile. “How are you, Bridge?” he said.
CHAPTER X
A MEETING
Sydney saw considerably less of her cousin after the arrival of Sir Algernon.
He announced that he had come to spend Christmas, much to the relief of Lady Frederica, who declared it would be “such a comfort to have somebody to amuse St. Quentin.” He himself acquiesced in the arrangement without saying much, or expressing pleasure or the reverse.
The new inmate of the Castle was distinctly an addition to its liveliness. He and Lady Frederica had several acquaintances in common, and Sydney and Miss Osric, sitting quietly at the dinner-table, found their ideas of various distinguished persons most uncomfortably disarranged. Sir Algernon had a knack, however, of suiting his conversation to his company. When he overtook Sydney and her governess returning from taking soup to a sick child in the village, he walked between them, talking very pleasantly of the historical associations and romantic stories connected with St. Quentin Castle—a subject particularly interesting to Sydney, who was beginning to feel a certain pride in the past of the grand old house to which she belonged.
It may be presumed that his conversation pleased St. Quentin also, for his guest was shut up with him a good deal in the library, smoking and talking.