He bent down and kissed her flushed cheek, and bowing to the others, followed his father from the room.
CHAPTER V.
THE PARTING.
Mr. Ellerton and his son entered their carriage in silence; the one in stern and gloomy displeasure, the other with a look of firm resolve still upon his face, though his heart throbbed and glowed with exultation, that Dora had remained steadfast as he himself.
Mr. Ellerton drove furiously homeward, giving free vent to his feelings by smartly applying the lash to poor startled old Prince’s back, which had never been beaten so before.
At the door he gave the horse to a servant, and telling Robert to go directly to the library, he took off his light summer overcoat and hat, hung them upon the rack in the hall, and then followed him.
He locked the door after him, and going the table, lit an astral lamp and seated himself in silence, motioning Robert to do the same.
After a few moments spent in deep thought, he turned his eyes upon his son and said, in a hard, cold voice:
“Well, sir, how much longer do you intend to carry on this farce?”
“What farce?” asked Robert, innocently.
“What farce, you fool? why, this ridiculous obstinacy about this more ridiculous marriage.”