Paul looked her straight in the face. "You are very kind; I shall be glad to," he answered.
She nodded. "About five o'clock. I go to sleep till then. Shall you come, Arthur?" she added carelessly.
"I cannot, so late as that," he answered despondently.
"Ah, I forgot. You are going down to Aldershot, aren't you? Don't overwork yourself."
She nodded, and the carriage drove on. Arthur watched it until it was out of sight. "She might have said a little earlier," he remarked despondently. "She knew I couldn't come so late as that."
Paul passed his arm through his brother's and was silent. He knew very well that Adrea had thought of this when she had made the arrangement.
They lunched together, and Paul did his utmost to make the time pass pleasantly for his brother. When they parted, too, late in the afternoon, he referred once more to Mrs. de Vaux's desire that he should come down to the Abbey for a few days.
"I want you to think of it seriously, Arthur," he said, as they shook hands through the carriage window. "The mother is very anxious to have you, and I am sure we can make things pleasant for you. I shall speak to Drummond about leave if I see him to-morrow."
Arthur assented dubiously, and without any enthusiasm.
"Awfully good of you to want me," he remarked. "I daresay I'll be able to come. I'll try, anyhow—just for a day or two."