At first everybody was asking who Angus Grey could be, as it was evident that he was some one well versed in the ways of this particular set; but gradually it was whispered about that the author of Shams and Shadows was "that young Seaton whom Isabel Carnaby threw over last season". Lady Farley was not surprised to hear this; she had long suspected it; but she took it upon herself to break the news to Isabel, as she did not know how her niece would take it.
"By the way," she said to Isabel one day, "it has come out at last who Angus Grey really is; it is the nom de plume of Paul Seaton."
Isabel started up, her face very white. "Who told you so? It isn't true. I won't believe it!"
"But you must believe it, my dear. It is an open secret. Everybody knows."
"How can people be so unjust? Paul would never have written a horrid book like that; I know him too well to believe such a thing."
"I grant you that it is not a nice book," said Lady Farley, "nor one that a gentleman would have written. But that he did write it, there is no doubt; for Bobby Thistletown met him and asked him straight out if he had adopted the name of Angus Grey, and Mr. Seaton confessed that he had. You know how Bobby goes straight to the point, and how there is no hoodwinking him when he wants to find out anything."
Isabel looked dumfounded. "Do you mean that Paul actually told Bobby that he was Angus Grey?"
"I have told you exactly what Bobby told me, so, you see, I come straight from head-quarters."
"What else did Bobby say to Paul?" asked Isabel.
"Oh, he congratulated him on the success of his book, and Mr. Seaton thanked him and said it had already had a great sale. But the fact is that Bobby was so disgusted with the personal tone of the book that he did not care to be on friendly terms with the author, so he cut the conversation somewhat short."