He looked at me keenly.
“You are very clever at disguising your feelings, Israel. I had no idea you were so subtle.”
I had made a mistake, and appeared before him for one moment in my true character.
“Where a woman is concerned men discover unexpected attributes.”
“That is true.” He was too tactful to pursue the subject of my admiration for Miss Gascoyne further, and continued: “No one has a greater respect for rank and its obligations than my niece. At the same time, I don’t think a throne would tempt her to lie about her feelings.”
I was lunching with Grahame that day. We had not seen each other for some time, but his steady blue eyes met mine with no diminution of friendship. He was at the moment slave to a romance of a most inconvenient type. He had fallen in love with quite a common girl, and was unhappy when she was out of his sight. Luckily there was no question of his marrying her. Had it been necessary I verily believe he would have done so, for his heart compelled all sacrifices.
“We never see each other now, Israel.”
I knew how to appeal to Grahame.
“Does that matter with a friendship as strong as ours?”
“Of course it does not affect our friendship, but still one likes to see one’s friends now and then.”