"Gracious stars! Fast! I'd like to go faster. Stone House will keep us busy, uncle, won't it, and—have you thought about the lions and what you'll say? You mean biz, don't you?"
"I shall have to deviate a bit from the path of truth, Toney, but I'll manage it. Melina, I must go to town to-morrow and—sleep there, on business."
"On Antonia's business, I suppose?" said Lady Cove tartly.
"No, oh no—forgot a few things I had to say to Lewis Waycott, who's off after lions. I'll return early on Friday."
"I hope you will, there are plenty of neglected things on your own estate, Evas, but of course——="
Happily the two great musicians came in together, and Lady Dove recognising that she would be envied by the musical portion of the county, turned on a smile of welcome, whilst Mr. Russell hastened to make himself agreeable, but in reality Lady Dove felt angry because Toney was the centre of attraction this evening.
"I should never have dared to suggest it," murmured Frank Weston to his friend.
"Nonsense! Why didn't you? Miss Whitburn said it was my duty, and of course my pleasure, and that your wedding could not take place without me——"
Everybody laughed.
"In a sort of way it was Jeanie who suggested it to me," said Toney. "I thought our organist would do, but she looked so reproachfully at me, and said, 'I don't want any music, thank you—short of Dr. Mayo—Frank would run away if he heard our organist!'"