A slight movement. Mr. Carr stopped, and Lord Hartledon looked round. Lady Hartledon was close behind him.
"Percival, what is the matter?" she asked, turning her back on Mr. Carr, as if ignoring his presence. "What bad news did that parson bring you?—a friend, I presume, of Dr. Ashton's."
They had both risen. Lord Hartledon glanced at Mr. Carr, the perspiration breaking out on his brow. "It—it was not a parson," he said, in his innate adherence to truth.
"I ask you, Lord Hartledon," she resumed, having noted the silent appeal to Mr. Carr. "It requires no third person to step between man and wife. Will you come upstairs with me?"
Words and manner were too pointed, and Mr. Carr hastily stacked the books, and carried them to a side-table.
"Allow these to remain here until to-morrow," he said to Lord Hartledon; "I'll send my clerk for them. I'm off now; it's later than I thought. Good-night, Lady Hartledon."
He went out unmolested; Lady Hartledon did not answer him; Val nodded his good-night.
"Are you not ashamed to face me, Lord Hartledon?" she then demanded. "I overheard what you were saying."
"Overheard what we were saying?" he repeated, gazing at her with a scared look.
"I heard that insidious man give you strange advice—'you must quietly separate from her,' he said; meaning from me. And you listened patiently, and did not knock him down!"