Over breakfast father and son agreed that it would be best to entrust her ladyship with the task of breaking to Ethel the news of her surprising change of fortune, whom they would see later on.
“It seems to me,” said Sir Gilbert, “that we owe this discovery, in the first place, entirely to the efforts of young Lisle.”
“That is undoubtedly so,” replied John. “Had he not first moved in the affair, the chances are, nay, it is almost a certainty, that the truth would never have been brought to light.”
“We owe him an immense debt of gratitude. In what way can we best contrive to repay at least a part of it?”
“As I understand the affair, he and Ethel are engaged to each other.”
“True. For the moment the fact had escaped my memory. And yet it was only the other day that I congratulated the pair of them.”
The two looked at each other for a few moments in silence.
“But the heiress of the House of Clare! One has a right to expect that she should make a very different match.” It was Sir Gilbert who spoke.
“Very true. Still, it may be as well to bear in mind that but for Everard Lisle, the House of Clare would never have known that it had an heiress.”
“Yes, yes; of course one can’t forget that. As I remarked before, the debt is an immense one. But as regards this engagement, what do you advise?”