“Yes—and then?” said John.
“Then I left him and came direct to you”—with a gesture that included both the men.
“You acted very rightly, my dear,” remarked her grandfather.
“Both my father and I are fully conscious of our indebtedness to Mr. Lisle,” said John. “And you may take my word that neither of us is disposed to undervalue it. But that is not the question before us just now. The points we are anxious to be satisfied upon are, that your happiness is really bound up with your engagement to Mr. Lisle; that you feel inwardly assured not merely that you love him, but of the depth and sincerity of his affection for you, and finally, whether under all the circumstances of the case, it is not desirable that your engagement should remain in abeyance, say for six months, or even for three, with the view of proving at the end of that time whether you really do care for each other as much as you believe you do now.”
“Dear father”—she spoke the words with a certain sweet shyness, which thrilled him as with a sense of exquisite music—“put us to whatever test may seem best to you. I have no fear for either Everard or myself. We will submit ourselves to you in every way!
“Is that so?” said John with a smile and a lifting of his eyebrows. “What, then, if I were to say, I will have no more of this engagement; that it shall come to an end from this hour!”
“That is a question there is no need for me to answer, because I am quite sure you will never say anything of the kind!”
Sir Gilbert chuckled.
“You are no match for the young monkey, that’s evident,” he remarked. A second later he pulled the bell-rope that was within reach of his hand, and to the servant who came in, he said: “Order dinner to be put back half-an-hour, and then have word sent at once to Elm Lodge that I expect Mr. Lisle to dine here this evening!”
As the man left the room, Sir Gilbert turned to Ethel.