"I don't think you could possibly---- What is it, Thomas?"
"Luncheon, my lady."
"Very well. I must get you to go in to luncheon without me, Mr. Joyce; you will find Lord and Lady Hetherington in the dining-room, and I will come down directly. We will resume our talk afterwards."
And she left the room, and walked swiftly and not too steadily up the hall towards the staircase.
[CHAPTER XXXVI.]
NIGHT AND MORNING.
Both Lord and Lady Hetherington were in the dining-room when Joyce entered, the former with his brown velveteen suit splashed and clay-stained, and his thick boots rich with the spoil of many a furrow (he was bitten with a farming and agricultural mania just then), and the latter calm and collected as Walter ever remembered her. She received the visitor with perfect politeness, expressed in a few well-chosen sentences her pleasure at seeing him again and the satisfaction with which she had learned of his improved position; then, after scanning him with rather a searching glance, she turned to the footman, and asked where was Lady Caroline, and whether she knew luncheon was ready. Joyce replied for the man. Lady Caroline had heard the announcement of luncheon, but had asked him to come in by himself, saying she would follow directly. Her ladyship had gone up to her room, the footman added; he did not think her ladyship was very well. The footman was new to Westhope, or he would have known that the domestics of that establishment were never allowed to think, or at least were expected to keep their thoughts to themselves.
Lady Hetherington of course ignored the footman's remark entirely, but addressed herself to Joyce.
"I hope you did not bring down any ill news for Lady Caroline, Mr. Joyce?"
"Not I, indeed, Lady Hetherington. I merely came to ask her ladyship's advice on--well, on a matter of business."