“There is only her father. He’s a queer man. She’s well away from him. I don’t think he cares a bit about her, really. They’re a good old family, I believe. Italians originally, of course. The father has a good deal of the foreigner in him, but the girl’s absolutely English.”
There was another pause, and then she looked up and took his hand.
“I can’t thank you enough. You’ve done absolutely the right thing. There was nothing else but to carry it through with a boy of Tony’s temperament. I’m glad, gladder than I can tell you. But of course my husband will take it rather unpleasantly at first. He had ideas about Tony’s marrying, and he would have done anything he could to have prevented its happening like this. But now that it has happened, now that there’s nothing to be done but to accept it, I think it will soon be all right. But perhaps you had better tell him now at once, and get it over. He will be here in a minute.”
At that instant they came in—Sir Richard, Rupert, Alice Du Cane, and Mrs. Lester.
It was obvious at once that Sir Richard was angry. Rupert was amused and a little bored. Alice was excited, and Mrs. Lester tired and white under the eyes.
“What’s this?” said Sir Richard, coming forward. “They tell me that Tony hasn’t been in all night. That he’s gone or something.”
Then he caught sight of Maradick.
“Ha! Maradick—Morning! Do you happen to know where the boy is?”
Maradick thought that he could discern through the old man’s anger a very real anxiety, but it was a difficult moment.
Lady Gale spoke. “Mr. Maradick has just been telling me——” she began.