“What will you do with all those thousands, or millions, is it?”
“A million and a half. Oh, I shall live in a yacht a great deal. I shall have a shooting box in Scotland and a town house in London. I don’t care for Grandmamma’s London house. It’s old and dingy and rather cramped. I shall get rid of it at any price. I shall have a villa on the Riviera, probably at Monte Carlo, and that reminds me, Miss Butler,” he broke off suddenly, looking at his watch, “you will pardon me if I leave you, will you not? I am due at the Casino at twenty past eight. Good evening.”
Lifting his straw hat with the affected air of a Piccadilly dandy, he tripped down the walk out of sight.
Elinor laughed out loud as she watched him stepping off, flicking the palm leaves with his rattan cane.
“And that is going to get the money!” she ejaculated. “What a shame. I’m sure Edward Paxton has more in him than his ridiculous cousin, who has already commenced to gamble at the Casino on prospects. If Edward could only prove to his grandmother that there is something to him!”
The young people had finished the barn dance and were resting on the broad piazza overlooking the lake, when Elinor found them.
“Do you suppose we could find Edward Paxton?” she whispered to Billie. “I have a piece of very bad news for him. I will tell you about it if we can get away.”
Billie knit her brows.
“Is it about the other Edward?” she asked.
“It certainly is. He’s been and gone and done it!”