"Then if you dine with us your excellency must have great people to meet you."
"Nick and Biddy—they're great enough."
"Come upstairs—come upstairs," said Lady Agnes, turning quickly and beginning to ascend.
"Wait for Biddy—I'm going out," Grace continued, extending her hand to her kinsman. "I shall see you again—not that you care; but good-bye now. Wait for Biddy," the girl repeated in a lower tone, fastening her eyes on his with the same urgent mystifying gleam he thought he had noted at luncheon.
"Oh I'll go and see her in Rosedale Road," he threw off.
"Do you mean to-day—now?"
"I don't know about to-day, but before I leave England."
"Well, she'll be in immediately," said Grace. "Good-bye to your excellency."
"Come up, Peter—please come up," called Lady Agnes from the top of the stairs.
He mounted and when he found himself in the drawing-room with her and the door closed she expressed her great interest in his fine prospects and position, which she wished to hear all about. She rang for coffee and indicated the seat he would find most comfortable: it shone before him for a moment that she would tell him he might if he wished light a cigar. For Peter had suddenly become restless—too restless to occupy a comfortable chair; he seated himself in it only to jump up again, and he went to the window, while he imparted to his hostess the very little he knew about his post, on hearing a vehicle drive up to the door. A strong light had just been thrown into his mind, and it grew stronger when, looking out, he saw Grace Dormer issue from the house in a hat and a jacket which had all the air of having been assumed with extraordinary speed. Her jacket was unbuttoned and her gloves still dangling from the hands with which she was settling her hat. The vehicle into which she hastily sprang was a hansom-cab which had been summoned by the butler from the doorstep and which rolled away with her after she had given an address.