“So I thought,” said Trevor, “and I waited while they went up again to tell her who it was; but she only sent down the same message again—that Mrs. Methvyn was pretty well, but that neither she nor her mother felt able to see any one. I don’t understand it.”
“Nor do I,” said Lady Frederica. “Then you saw no one—not even Miss Casalis?”
“Not even Miss Casalis,” repeated Trevor.
Sir Thomas looked very grave. “I am rather afraid I do understand it,” he said in a low voice. Only Trevor caught the words. He started.
“How do you mean, sir?” he said hastily. “What reason can there be for it?”
Sir Thomas lifted his eyebrows with a significant gesture in the direction of his wife. “Your mother does not know anything about what we were speaking of this morning,” he whispered. “Wait till we are alone.”
So all through dinner time Lady Frederica twittered away about how strange it was; she feared poor dear Cicely must be ill, though she would not own to it; she wished she had sent a note by Trevor; might she have the carriage very early to-morrow morning to drive to Greystone? etc. etc.; till Mr. Fawcett could bear it no longer. He had eaten next to nothing; he drank two or three glasses of sherry off at once; but they failed to compose his nerves. “Mother,” he said at last, “do think of something else to talk about. You might see it is very painful to me.”
Lady Frederica’s eyes filled with tears. Miss Winter looked reproachful, Sir Thomas uncomfortable, and Trevor felt ashamed of himself. Very few remarks of any kind were exchanged till the two ladies had left the dining-room. Then Sir Thomas began at once, “I am afraid things don’t look well about poor Methvyn’s affairs,” he said. “I happened to see Flaxton to-day, and he was full of it.”
He’s a great gossip—I hate country lawyers,” said Mr. Fawcett irritably.
“Well, well—I don’t say I think much of his opinion,” allowed Sir Thomas. “What he told me was quite in confidence of course. But what you tell me yourself, Trevor, about Cicely’s refusing to see you, that, I must say, makes me uneasy.”