She turned away, and left Agatha thoughtful. In the meanwhile, Mrs. Hastings came upon Wyllard alone in the music-room.
“You look quite serious,” she remarked.
“I’ve been thinking about Miss Ismay and Gregory,” Wyllard replied. “In fact, I feel a little anxious about them.”
“Without making any reflections upon Gregory, I somewhat feel sorry for the girl.”
Mrs. Hastings nodded. “As a matter of fact, that’s very much what I felt from the first,” she admitted. “Still, you see, there’s the important fact that she’s fond of him, and it should smooth out a good many difficulties. Anyway, she’s evidently rather a courageous person.”
Wyllard sat silent a moment or two. “I wasn’t troubling about the material difficulties—lack of wealth and all that,” he said. “I was wondering if she really could be fond of him. It is some years since she was much in his company.”
“Hawtrey is not a man to change.”
“That,” returned Wyllard, “is just the trouble. I’ve no doubt he’s much the same, but one could fancy that Miss Ismay has changed a good deal since she last saw him. She’ll look for considerably more than she was probably content with then.”
“In any case, it isn’t your affair.” Mrs. Hastings smiled significantly.