"Why, sir-well, sir-yes, sir!"
"Of course I knew! Can you leave her to come with me?"
"I couldn't leave ye to stay with her, sir."
"Are you sure? I do not want you to come against your inclinations."
"Women ain't everything, sir."
"Are they not? I think they are . . . a great deal," said my lord wistfully.
"I'm mighty fond o' Mary, but she knows I must go with you."
"Does she? But is it quite fair to her? And I believe I am not minded to drag you 'cross Continent again."
"Ye won't leave me behind, sir? Ye couldn't do that! Sir-ye're never thinking of going by yourself? I-I-I won't let ye!"
"I am afraid I cannot spare you. But if you should change your mind, tell me. Is it a promise?"
"Ay, sir. If I should change my mind." Salter's smile was grimly sarcastic.
"I am selfish enough to hope you'll not change. I think no one else would bear with my vile temper as you do. Help me out of this coat, will you?"
"I'll never change, sir. And as to tempers- As if I minded!"
"No. You are marvellous. My breeches. Thanks."
He shed his satin small-clothes, and proceeded to enter into white buckskins. "Not those boots, Jim, the other pair." He leaned against the table as he spoke, drumming his fingers on a chair-back.
A knock fell on the door, at which he frowned and signed to Jim, who walked across and opened it, slightly.
"Is your master here?" inquired a well-known voice, and at the sound of it my lord's face lighted up, and Salter stood aside.
"Come in, Miles!"
The big Irishman complied and cast a swift glance round the disordered room. He raised his eyebrows at sight of Jack's riding boots and looked inquiringly across at him.
My lord pushed a chair forward with his foot.
"Sit down, man! I thought you were in London?"
"I was. I brought Molly home yesterday, the darlint, and I heard that ye were leaving here this afternoon."
"Ah?"
"And as I'm not going to let ye slip through me fingers again, I thought I would come and make sure of ye. Ye are a deal too slippery, Jack."
"Yet I was coming to see you again whatever happened."
"Of course. Ye are coming now-to stay."
"Oh no!"
O'Hara placed his hat and whip on the table, and stretched his legs with a sigh.
"Sure, 'tis stiff I am! Jim, I've a chaise outside for the baggage, so ye may take it down as soon as may be."
"Leave it where it is, Jim. Miles, 'tis monstrous good of you, but-"
"Keep your buts to yourself, Jack. Me mind's made up."
"And so is mine! I really cannot-"
"Me good boy, ye are coming to stay with us until ye are recovered, if I have to knock ye senseless and then carry ye!"
The lightning smile flashed into Jack's eyes.
"How ferocious! But pray do not be ridiculous over a mere scratch. Recovered, indeed!"
"Ye still look ill. Nay, Jack, take that frown off your face; 'tis of no avail, I am determined."
The door closed softly behind Jim as Carstares shook his head.
"I can't, Miles. You must see 'tis impossible."
"Pooh! No one who comes to Thurze House knows ye or anything about ye. Ye need not see a soul, but come ye must!"
"But, Miles-"
"Jack, don't be a fool! I want ye, and so does Molly. 'Tis no trap, so ye need not look so scared."
"I'm not. Indeed, I am very grateful, but-I cannot. I am going abroad almost at once."
"What?"
"Yes. I mean it."
O'Hara sat up.
"So it has come! I knew it would!"
"What mean you?"
"Ye've found out that ye love Mistress Di."
"Nonsense!"
"And she you."
Jack looked at him.
"Oh, ay! I'm a tactless oaf, I know, and me manners are atrocious to be for trying to break through the barriers ye've put up round yourself. But, I tell ye, Jack, it hurts to be kept at the end of a pole! I don't want to force your confidence, but for God's sake don't be treating me as if I were a stranger!"
"I beg your pardon, Miles. It's confoundedly hard to confide in anyone after six years' solitude." He struggled into his coat as he spoke, and settled his cravat. "If you want to know the whole truth, 'tis because of Diana that I am going."
"Of course. Ye are in love with her?"
"It rather points that way, does it not?"
"Then why the divil don't ye ask her to marry ye?"
"Why don't I ask her? Because I will not offer her a smirched name! Because I love her so much that-" He broke off with a shaky, furious laugh. "How can you ask me such a question? I am a desirable parti, hein? Nom d'un nom! For what do you take me?"
O'Hara looked up, calmly studying the wrathful countenance.
"Chivalrous young fool," he drawled.
Again the short, angry laugh.
"It is so likely that I should ask her to marry me, is it not? 'Mademoiselle, you see in me an improvident fooclass="underline" I began life by cheating at cards, and since then-' Oh, I shall believe it myself ere long! I seem to have told it to so many people. And I lay myself open to the impertinences of-" he checked himself, thinking of the interview downstairs with Mr. Beauleigh.
"Rubbish, Jack."
"'Tis not rubbish. I have one recommendation-only one."
"Faith, have ye as much? What is it?"
My lord laughed bitterly.
"I dress rather well."
"And fence better, as far as I remember."
"I have reason to. That is but another point to damn me. What woman would marry a fencing-master? Oh, my God! what a mess I have made of my life." He tried to laugh and failed miserably.
"I rather fancy Mistress Di would."
"She will not be asked thus to demean herself," was the proud answer.
"My dear Jack, ye forget ye are the Earl of Wyncham."
"A pretty earl! No thank you, Miles. Richard's son will be Earl-no son of mine."
O'Hara brought his fist down on the table with a crash.
"Damn Richard and his son!"
My lord picked up a jewelled pin and, walking to the glass, proceeded to fasten it in his cravat. The other followed him with smouldering eyes.
"Retired into your shell again?" he growled.
Carstares, with his head slightly on one side, considered the effect of the pin. Then he came back to his friend.
"My dear Miles, the long and short of it is that I am an unreasonable grumbler. I made my bed, and I suppose I must-er-lie on it."
"And will ye be afther telling me who helped ye in the making of it?"
Carstares sat down and started to pull on one boot.
"I foresee we shall be at one another's throats ere long," he prophesied cheerfully. "Did I tell you that I informed Mr. Beauleigh of my-er-profession to-day?"
Miles forgot his anger in surprise.
"Ye never told him ye were a highwayman?" he cried.
"Yes, I did. Why not?"
"Why not? Why not? God help us all! are ye daft, man? Do ye intend to tell every other person ye meet what ye are? Bedad, 'tis mad ye are entirely!"
Carstares sighed.
"I was afraid you would not understand."
"'Twould take a wizard to understand ye! Another chivalrous impulse, I doubt not?"
"Chiv-! No. It is just that I could not let him think me an honourable gentleman. He took it well, on the whole, and is now frigidly polite."
"Polite! I should hope so! The ould scarecrow, after ye'd saved his daughter on him, too! And 'twas he made ye so furious?"
Carstares laughed.
"He and myself. You see-he-lectured me-oh! quite kindly-on the error of my ways, and-it hurt."
"'Tis as well ye are coming to me then, the way things are with ye at present."
My lord opened his mouth to speak, encountered a fiery glance, and shut it again.
"Anything to say?" inquired O'Hara with a threatening gleam in his eye.
"No, sir," replied Jack meekly.
"Ye will come?"
"Please."
O'Hara sprang up joyfully.
"Good lad! Lud! but I was afraid at one time-Put on your other boot while I go and look for that rascal of yours!" He hurried out of the room to find Jim, who, having foreseen the result of the contest, was already stowing the luggage away on the chaise.