He had to go off in a hurry to see old General Montgomery, who had had another slight attack last night, and who would allow no doctor but Dillwyn near him. He had chafed greatly at the young man's unavoidable absence during the past two days.
When he was gone, Mrs. Greatorex sent for Agatha. The girl quite expected that she would have said something about Jack, but there was no mention of him for some time; she dwelt largely on the difference the ten thousand pounds would make in her income, and then drifted off to Elfrida. She had behaved so wisely, she said.
"That is quite what I think," said Agatha. "She would have been wretched with Lord Ambert."
"Absolutely so."
"No wonder!" said Agatha earnestly. "Such an odious man!"
"My dear, it wasn't the man, it was the position that frightened her. A girl like that—of no family, whose people kept a store—to even dream of being a countess was the most outrageous presumption. At the last, you see, she shrank from it; she felt she could not with any propriety wear a coronet. Her brows were not formed for it by nature. It"—solemnly—"would drop off. Now you, Agatha, you will indeed be a fitting mistress for—Medlands!"
Agatha sat and stared. Mrs. Greatorex beamed back at her.
"I think," she said lightly, "you had better write a little line to Dr. Darkham to terminate that unfortunate engagement."
"There was no engagement," said the girl proudly, "except my engagement to Jack. I have had nothing to do with Dr. Darkham— nothing!"
"Well—very little, certainly," said Mrs. Greatorex. She smiled. "He has hardly anything to complain of, really. Hardly anything. I shall send him a little diplomatic, friendly line at once."