“I think not,” answered Tom. “The fellow is evidently uneasy, and will continue to be so as long as you stay under his roof. But the very openness of our proceedings, and the frank way in which we have told him who we are, will go far to disarm any suspicions which he might otherwise have entertained.”
Two or three days passed quietly over. Lionel drank the waters with regularity, and he and Tom drove out frequently in the neighbourhood of King Bladud’s beautiful city. Janvard always gave them a look in in the course of dinner to see that everything was to their satisfaction; but he still carefully abstained from wearing the ring.
By-and-by there came a certain evening when Janvard failed to put in his usual appearance at the dinner table. Said Tom to the man who waited upon them: “Where is your master this evening? Not ill, I hope?”
“Gone to a masonic banquet, sir,” answered the man.
“Then he won’t be home till late, I’ll wager.”
“Not till eleven or twelve, I dare say, sir.
“Gone in full fig, of course?” said Tom, laughingly.
“Yes, sir,” answered the man with a grin.
“Diamond studs and ruby ring, and everything complete, eh?” went on Tom.
“I don’t know about diamond studs, sir,” said the man, “but he certainly had his ring on, for I saw it on his finger myself.”