“Excuse me, they saw nothing,” persisted Sir William, who was now speaking more quietly, but who was not in the least disposed to waver in his statement as to what he had seen. “I don’t think they were even in the room till the row had begun.”
She was leading him gently across the middle room, deeming it more prudent not to let him speak to Mrs. Van Santen in his obvious state of irritation. She made him take her, therefore, into the music-room, where Cora and Arthur were conversing near the piano, and where two or three other small knots of people were discussing the distressing affair in low voices.
Gerard was sitting by himself not far from the piano, and Delia had come in to do her usual work of smoothing things over in any direction where she saw that her services would be useful. Miss Davison made straight for Gerard.
“Do, Mr. Buckland,” said she, bending down to speak pleadingly, and meanwhile looking at him with steady eyes eloquent of her anxiety, “speak to Sir William, and try to persuade him to make some sort of apology, to believe that he has made a mistake, a great and dreadful mistake. I don’t want him to leave the house until he’s been brought to listen to reason,” she added earnestly, speaking quickly, and in such a low voice that only Gerard heard her.
For he had started to his feet at her first words, and was standing on one side of her, while Sir William, still angry and stiff, was on the other.
Gerard felt himself to be in a very difficult position. Of course he believed implicitly that the baronet was right, that he had suddenly found out the meaning of the constant and heavy losses at cards which he had sustained when playing with the young Van Santens. It was horrible to find Rachel taking the part of these men, whom he now looked upon as little better than swindlers, knowing, as he did, that she must be perfectly well aware of what had been going on.
And yet he did not like to refuse her request, especially as, even if his suspicions and those of Sir William were correct, the baronet had now had his lesson, and it was most desirable on all accounts to avoid a scandal.
So, after a moment’s hesitation, he said, “All right. I’ll do what I can,” and thrusting his hand through the young baronet’s arm, he led him into the conservatory which opened from this room, and asked him to tell him all about it.
Briefly and clearly—for he had now had time to collect his thoughts—Sir William explained exactly what he had seen, and his reasons for believing that he had been robbed.
Gerard listened attentively and without interruption, and was quite sure that the young baronet was correct in his surmise, and that Denver, having robbed him persistently and with ease, had at last grown careless, and manipulating the cards without so much skill as usual, had been found out.