"It is my hope that we shall always be good friends," he replied in that smooth purring voice of his. Then indicating his companion, he added: "May I have the honour of presenting you to the Count de Sé?"
Tony shook hands in turn with the Count, who in contrast with the urbane Da Freitas appeared nervous and ill at ease.
"How do you do?" said Tony. "I suppose it's my imagination, but d'you know I can't help feeling I have seen you before somewhere."
For a moment the Count seemed at a loss how to reply, and before he could recover himself the Marquis da Freitas had taken up the gauntlet.
"You are right, Sir Antony. You made the Count's acquaintance in Richmond Park the day before yesterday. It is that meeting to a certain extent which is responsible for our visit."
With an air of pleased remembrance, Tony turned back to Isabel's guardian.
"Why, of course," he exclaimed. "How stupid of me! I say, I hope you didn't hurt yourself when you fell off the car?"
The Count drew himself up. "It is through a miracle that I was not killed," he replied with some stiffness.
Tony nodded sympathetically. "I know," he said. "That's the danger of a clay soil. It gets so hard in hot weather."
A sudden tinge of colour appeared in the Count's parchment-like face, and once again the soothing tones of Da Freitas broke in upon the conversation.