At the same moment Clifford saw her hands beneath the table swiftly remove engagement and wedding rings and thrust them into a white glove which lay in her lap. Also he noted that the dark gentleman had caught this action; and he noted that the black eyes glinted with a sudden light.
The next moment he heard Mary being introduced as Miss Gilmore. Clifford watched the meeting keenly.
“I’m very glad to meet Miss Gilmore,” the elder Morton said, bowing over her hand and taking her in with a swift, appraising eye. He had a reputation of a sort as a connoisseur of femininity, and what he saw was evidently pleasing to him.
“And I am glad to meet you,” Mary returned.
Clifford knew her self-control, but he was freshly amazed at the composed agreeability with which she met her unsuspecting father-in-law.
“Of course, you know Mr. Clifford,” Jack went on nervously. “Sit down, dad. We were just finishing a little supper. Can’t I order something for you?”
“Nothing for me, son. But I’ll sit with Miss Gilmore and you for a minute.”
He took a chair, and fixed his gray eyes, trained to penetrate and read what others would hide from him, upon Mary. Clifford tautened with suspense as these two sat face to face. And out of the tail of his eye he saw that the dark man was covertly watching and listening.
“I don’t get to New York very often, Miss Gilmore,” Mr. Morton continued, “but this time I’m making it an old man’s business and pleasure to try to recapture some of my own youth by getting acquainted with Jack’s friends. I suppose he’s known you a long time?”
“On the other hand, we first met quite recently.”