Accordingly the carriage was stopped at the Newthorpes' house, and, as Annabel had predicted, her father sauntered forth.
'Ah, how do you do, Egremont?' he said, after a scarcely appreciable hesitation, giving his hand with perfect self-possession. 'Turned up on the road, have you?'
The ladies laughed. Annabel left the carriage, and the other two drove on to The Chestnuts.
Egremont dined and spent the evening with Mrs. Ormonde. Their conversation was long and intimate, yet it was some time before reference was made to the subject both had most distinctly in mind.
'I went to see Grail as soon as I got to London,' Egremont said at length.
'I am glad of that. But how did you know where to find him?'
'They gave me his address at the old house. He seems comfortably lodged with his friend Ackroyd. Mrs. Ackroyd opened the door to me; of course I didn't know her, and she wouldn't know me; Grail told me who it was afterwards. I could recall no likeness to her sister.'
'There is very little. The poor girl is in calm water at last, I hope. She was to have been married on Midsummer Day, and, the night before, Mrs. Grail died; so they put it off. And what of Mr. Grail?'
'He behaved admirably to me; he did not let me feel for a moment that I excited any trouble in his memory.'
'But does his life seem bitter to him—his employment, I mean?'