He turned the subject with some reference to her projected stay with her mother-in-law. She was diverted, and the conversation turned no more upon Highnoons until the party was set down at the Hall. It was then that John, detaining Carlyon when he would have entered one of the saloons in the wake of his sister, said, “By God, you were right, Ned! What’s to do now?”
“I believe we should have expected to see him here.”
“Ay! But what has he done with poor old Bedlington? How has he persuaded him to remain in London? And what does he intend?”
“To find your memorandum, I collect.”
“You are damned cool, upon my word!”
“No: interested, and as yet unsure of my ground. The case is plainly desperate, and I must indulge the hope that he will betray himself. Hush! do not speak of this before Georgy!”
She had come out of the saloon and was advancing toward them. “I shall go to bed. How odious it is in you to be talking secrets!”
“No such thing!” said John. “Where’s Flint? I want a word with him!”
She watched him stride off toward the saloon and turned her eyes back to her eldest brother, a roguish look in them. “Oh, Ned!”
“Well, and now what?”