"Has that heartless girl refused you again, Sir Charles?"
"Dear Mrs. Sprowl, you are too much my partisan. Mrs. Leeds knows better than you or I where her heart is really inclined. And you and I can scarcely question her decision."
"Do you think for a moment it is inclined toward that miserable nephew of mine?" she demanded.
"No," he said.
"Then—do you mean young Quarren?"
"I think I do," he said smiling.
"I'm glad of it!" she said angrily. "If it was not to be you I'm glad that it may be Rix. It—it would have killed me to see her fall into Langly's hands.... I'm ill on account of him—his shocking treatment of me last evening. It was a brutal scene—one of those terrible family scenes!—and he threatened me—cursed me——"
She closed her eyes a moment, trembling all over her fat body; then they snapped open again with the old fire undiminished:
"Before I've finished with Langly he'll realise who has hold of him.... But I'm not well. I'm going to Carlsbad. Shall I see you there?"
"I'm afraid not."