“I am glad,” Archibald Sherbrooke said, earnestly, and his lip trembled as he spoke, “that her life has been made so much brighter during the past year, and I shall always be grateful to Mr. Rosevelt for his kindness; and yet I am almost selfish enough to wish that I could have been the one to raise her to a more congenial sphere. I shall go to the United States at once. I must seek her and set myself right with her as soon as possible. Will you be so good as to give me Mr. Rosevelt’s address?”
“With pleasure,” Ralph responded; “but you will not find them in New York just at present, for they, with my sister—who is a very intimate friend of Miss Gladstone’s—are traveling in the far West, and will not return under three or four months.”
Lord Carrol looked thoughtful and disappointed at this intelligence.
“I must wait, then,” he said, with a sigh, “until their return. The time will seem very long, although I am greatly needed here just now, and it would be much to my own disadvantage were I to leave before my affairs are in a more settled state; but I should let no pecuniary consideration deter me from going to Star if I was sure I should find her. However, I must submit to the inevitable; and now, Mr. Meredith,” he concluded, with a genial smile, “what can I do to make your stay in our city pleasant? I am at your disposal for any length of time.”
“Thank you, my lord. My business will not permit my tarrying much longer just now; but I intend to return to London in the course of three or four months, and shall hope to meet you again then,” Ralph answered.
“I shall most certainly see to it that we do meet again,” Lord Carrol returned; “and now, if you have no engagement for to-morrow, will you do me the honor to dine with me?”
“It will give me great pleasure to do so. I have no other engagement,” Mr. Meredith returned.
He was growing to admire Star Gladstone’s handsome lover exceedingly, notwithstanding the fact that he was his own rival.
“Thanks. Now come with me and let me introduce you to my mother and sister, who are both here at Stamfield House; and, Mr. Meredith,” the young lord added, grasping his hand again, and speaking with emotion, “I cannot be sufficiently grateful to you, for you have put new life and hope into my heart to-night.”
Ralph tried to feel generously glad for this, but it was not in human nature not to experience a pang over the happiness which he knew was in store for him, especially when he knew, too, that it would be at the expense of his own.