“I know,” nodded Patricia wisely, “and he painted Nevil’s great grandmother. It’s in the drawing-room. Why do you call Aymer ‘Cæsar’?”
“Because he always does what he means to do, or gets it done; besides he is—just Cæsar.”
“It isn’t bad,” she said condescendingly, “perhaps I shall call him so myself. I do hope we are going to have tea in his room. It’s such a lovely, lovely room.”
“So it is in London. The beautifulest room I’ve seen.”
“It’s just as nice here,” she maintained stoutly, “he planned how it was to be done, and Nevil saw to it. I like this best.”
Christopher was too polite or too shy to insist, but 56 he felt doubtful and became impatient to see for himself, so they went indoors to find Patricia’s hopes were justified. Tea was served in “Mr. Aymer’s” room.
And Christopher was obliged to allow that Patricia had some ground for her statement. It was a smaller room than the one in London, and singularly like it, only the prevailing note was lighter and gayer in tone. Aymer was there, lying on a similar sofa to his usual one, with the familiar cover across his feet.
Renata was making tea, and making Cæsar laugh also. Christopher was uncomfortably conscious it was all new to him and the familiarity only superficial, while it was a well-recognised phase in Cæsar’s life. Even Nevil Aston seemed a different person in his easy country dress, and Christopher failed at first to connect the dark little lady at the tea table with him, and only noted she took Aymer his tea, which was his, Christopher’s, special privilege, and treated him with a friendly familiarity that nearly bordered on contempt in Christopher’s eyes.
Aymer saw the children and called to them. Patricia greeted him with the air of a young princess and drew herself up when he said she had grown, and would soon be a child instead of a baby. Then he faced Christopher round towards Renata, who had suddenly become grave and shy.
“Here is Christopher, so you can approve or condemn Nevil by your own judgment, Renata. Christopher, shake hands with Mrs. Aston.”