At this moment the gloomy waiter came into the room. His disclosure that Pen had gone to Bristol with Mrs Hopkins made Sir Richard’s face assume a more masklike expression than ever, but they could not fail to assuage one at least of the Major’s alarms. He mopped his brow, and said gruffly that he saw that he had made a mistake.
“That’s what we’ve been telling you,” Cedric pointed out. “I’ll tell you another thing, sir: I want my breakfast, and I’ll be damned if I’ll sit down to it with you dancing about the room, and shouting in my ear. It ain’t restful!”
“But I don’t understand!” complained the Major in a milder tone. “She said she went out to meet your cousin, sir!”
“I have already told you, sir, that your daughter and my cousin both talked a deal of nonsense,” said Sir Richard, over his shoulder.
“You mean she said it to make me believe—to throw dust in my eyes? Upon my soul!”
“Now, don’t start that again!” begged Cedric.
“She has gone off with young Luttrell!” exploded the Major. “By God, I’ll break every bone in his body!”
“Well, we don’t mind that,” said Cedric. “You go and do it, sir! Don’t waste a moment! Waiter, the door!”
“Good God, this is terrible!” exclaimed the Major, sinking into a chair, and clapping a hand to his brow. “Depend upon it, they are half-way to the Scottish border by now! As though that were not enough! But there is Philips wanting me to take that wretched girl to Bath this morning, to see whether she can recognize some fellow they have caught there! What am I to say to him? The scandal! My poor wife! I left her prostrate!”
“Run back to her at once!” urged Cedric. “You have not a moment to spare! Tell me, though, had this fellow the diamonds upon him?”