“Hallo, little lady,” he said sharply, as he found Mary standing by the fireplace with a wine glass in her hand; “what are you doing here?”
“I was only looking round, uncle,” she said quickly, “to see that everything was left straight. You’ll have the coffee brought in here, I suppose, after dinner?”
“Yes, of course,” he said rashly; “but you ought to be in the drawing-room. What are you doing with that glass?”
“It is a dirty one, uncle,” said the girl, in a hurried manner; “I was going to take it away.”
“You please to put it back, and don’t meddle with things in my room.”
“I’m very sorry, uncle dear,” she said; and replacing the glass quickly, she hurried out of the room.
“I mustn’t forget that,” said Gartram, as he opened the cabinet in which he kept his cigars, and then joined his guests in the drawing-room.
Five minutes after, dinner was announced, and Glyddyr took in Claude, who trembled as she felt what a quiet, respectful manner he had adopted, and how it seemed to indicate a feeling of satisfied assurance that, sooner or later, she would be his.
It was impossible to be quite calm under the circumstances; but she strove hard to keep away all such thoughts, and, in her quality of mistress of the house, did the honours of the table admirably, till it was time to rise and leave the gentlemen to their wine.
“We sha’n’t sit very long, Claude,” said Gartram; “and after a cigar, we shall want some music.”