“Yes, was it not?” agreed Miss Thane cordially. “Though until my brother was took ill, I had really no notion of remaining here. But the opportunity of seeing my dear Eustacie again quite reconciled me to the necessity of putting up at this inn. Pray, will you not be seated?”
He thanked her, and took the chair she indicated, carefully setting his hat down upon the table. Looking at Eustacie with an amused glint in his eyes, he said: “So you have decided not to marry Tristram after all! I liked the notion of your spirited flight to the arms of your friend. But how dark you kept her, my dear cousin! Now if only you had confided with me, I would have conveyed you to her in my carriage, and you would have been spared a singularly uncomfortable ride through the night.”
“I preferred to go myself,” said Eustacie. “It was an adventure.”
He said: “It is a pity you dislike me so much, and trust me so little, for I am very much your servant.”
To Miss Thane’s surprise Eustacie smiled quite graciously, and answered: “I do not dislike you: that is quite absurd. It is merely that I think you wear a silly hat, and, besides, I wanted to have an adventure all by myself.”
He gave his soft laugh. “I wish you did not dislike my hat, but that can be remedied. Shall I wear an old-fashioned tricorne like Tristram, or do you favour the chapeau-bras?”
“You would look very odd in a chapeau-bras,” she commented.
“Yes, I am afraid you are right. Tell me, what do you mean to do with your life, Eustacie, now that you have given Tristram his conge?”
“I am going to stay in town with Miss Thane.”
He looked thoughtfully at Miss Thane. “Yes? Have I Miss Thane’s permission to call upon her in London?”