sent for me to go intohis private room. A very short interview: Greatorex doesn't wastewords. I am to go to the Embassy at Madrid."
Lady Mary preserved her sweet calm. The Earl did not move an eyelid.He lifted his glass of port.
"Success to you, my boy. You have got a chance now. And I am sure youwill make good."
The young man drained his glass also.
"Yes, I think I shall make good. What I just wanted was a chance."
Mary shot a warning glance at her father. It was just on the cards thathe might have blurted out something that would have hurt his son'spride, led him to understand that it was his father's secret influencethat had got him this post.
But, fortunately, at this stage the Earl's mental faculties were notvery acute. He was already beginning to nod over his port.
A few moments later, Lord Saxham's somnolent faculties became more fullydeveloped. Mary pointed to the terrace which was approached by thedining-room windows. She leaned across the table and whispered.
"Shall we take a stroll? I would like to talk all this over with you."
Guy nodded and rose. They went noiselessly to the terrace, and sat downon one of the numerous seats, overlooking the lovely gardens beneath.
Mary opened the conversation at once.
"Is this--this good news--going to make any difference to you, Guy?"
There was just a note of anxiety in her voice.
Guy looked at her squarely.
"What do you mean, Mary? Difference in what way?"
"Difference between you and Isobel?" answered Mary, in a voice thatshook a little. "You love each other so dearly. I would hate to thinkthat anything could come between you."
Guy laughed his hearty, boyish laugh.
"Dear old girl, you know I have always told the truth to you. I wouldsooner go to the devil with Isobel Clandon, than to heaven with somedelightful bride that our dear old dad had chosen for me. As soon as Iam on my feet, Isobel will be my wife."
Mary patted his hand affectionately.
"I am so delighted to hear you say that. But one never quite knows men.There is father, in a way sentimental, but on certain things he can beas hard as granite."
Guy Rossett frowned.
"Oh, I know. He hates the idea of my marrying Isobel. I suppose when Ido he will forbid me the house, and cut me off with a shilling, eh?"
Mary looked at him, with a soft gleam in her kind, beautiful eyes.
"Oh, no, he will not do that. And if he wanted to, I should not lethim. You know, I have more influence over him than anybody."
"Except, perhaps, Ticehurst?" suggested Guy, in a tone that was notquite free from bitterness. He was not over-fond of his elder brother.
Mary shook her head.
She was fond of both her brothers, but she was not oblivious ofTicehurst's faults.
"Don't worry about that, dear old boy. Eric has no influence over himat all. And when the dreadful deed is done, and Isobel is your wife,dear old dad will rage and fume, and all that. But he will come roundin the end, and finish by loving Isobel as much as he does me. Don'tworry. Go on with it."
Guy kissed her.
"By Jove, you are a pal, Mary. Then I can count on you to back me up."
"Of course," was Mary's confident reply.
There was silence between them for a little while, while Guy puffed athis cigarette, and his sister was cogitating as to her next method ofattack. Brought up in a household of three men, she knew it wassomewhat difficult to storm the masculine citadel.
Presently she spoke.
"And what about finance, Guy? Are things easy there?"
The boyish look disappeared from the young man's face. Her question hadseemed to disturb his equanimity. He was quite frank.
"That's the devil of it, Mary. You know my old friend Jackson?"
Mary gave a little sigh. Yes, she had heard of Jackson from bothbrothers. He was a high-class moneylender, who accommodated young menof good family.
"Yes, I know all about Jackson. How much do you owe him?"
Her brother reflected.
"Something between five and six hundred," he said, after a pause.
Mary spoke decidedly.
"You must clear that off before you go to Spain--you must have a cleansheet."
She reflected also, before she spoke again.
"I can let you have two hundred and fifty out of what I have saved."
Guy interrupted.
"You sweet little soul, you never spend anything except in charities."
"I know," answered his sister quietly. "Anyway, there is my two hundredand fifty, and I must coax the rest out of dad. You must go to Spainwith a clean sheet. That is absolutely essential."
Guy answered with his boyish laugh and with his boyish exuberance.
"It is too awfully dear and kind of you, and you can guess how Iappreciate it. But I am not going to let my sister waste her money ontwo graceless scamps like Ticehurst and myself. And I don't sponge onmy father, either."
Mary protested gently.
"Oh, Guy, how unjust of both yourself and Eric. You know that is not myopinion of either of you." Guy took her slender hand in his own.
"You dear old girl, you are only just a little bit lower than theangels; you have always had wings growing since you were a wee toddler.But I am going to see this thing through on my own. Jackson is an oldscoundrel of course, but he never presses one very hard. I shall squarehim all right."
Mary said no more on the subject. Both her brothers inherited thepaternal obstinacy. When they had once made up their minds, nothingcould move them.
But she sighed a little. It would have been so much better if Guy couldhave got rid of this odious moneylender, and have landed in Spain with aclean sheet. He would have been free from any pecuniary worries, and,therefore, in a better mood to attend to his work.
Jackson was done with, but there was another subject which she wanted tobroach before this interview was ended. And it was a rather delicateone. It was some little time before she spoke again.
"And how about that woman, Violet Hargrave? Are you quite clear of her?It is not fair to Isobel that you should keep up even a semblance offriendship with such an odious person."
Guy laughed, but this time his laugh did not ring clear and boyish; itbetrayed uneasiness.
"Oh, come, Mary, you are a bit uncharitable, aren't you. VioletHargrave is generally considered a charming, not an odious, person."
His sister spoke a little sternly for her.
"I don't pretend to have a man's knowledge of the world, but I have notbeen brought up in a nursery. I know her type, and it is one from whichany pure woman, and any decent man, ought to shrink. Have you given herup?"
Guy looked her squarely in the face.
"Honestly, Mary, I have, just after I met Isobel. Of course, a mancan't throw a woman over in a second, but I have cooled down gradually.At the present moment, I think the fascinating widow hates me."
Mary rose and spoke decidedly.
"I am glad to have your assurance of that. If it had not been so, Imight have felt it my duty to warn Isobel. She is too sterling a girlto be played with."
Her brother rose too, half resentful, half admiring. It was not thefirst time that Lady Mary had spoken salutary words of wisdom to him.
"By Jove, Mary, you are uncompromising. Do you mean to say you wouldgive me away to Isobel--me, your own brother?"
"Of course," answered Mary firmly. "To Isobel, or any other woman, if Ithought you were unworthy of her."
Admiration conquered. He tucked her arm in his, as they returned to thehouse.
"You dear old girl, you are one out of a million. But you know you area little uncomfortable at times, and when you are inclined that way, youhave a knack of making a fellow feel a bit of a worm."
Mary laughed pleasantly.
"So good for you feeling that, dear old boy, and equally good for Eric.I expect dad has woken up by no
w, and wondering where we have got to."They found the Earl wide-awake. The doze of a few minutes over his porthad refreshed him immensely. He fell at once to discussing Spain, acountry he knew well.
In his youth, Lord Saxham had been an attache at the Spanish Court, andhe knew the ropes. Guy listened respectfully to his father.
The old man concluded his somewhat rambling remarks with a finalexhortation.
"And remember, my dear boy, always to keep on the right side ofGreatorex. He _is_ the Foreign Office. Secretaries, mere figure-heads,come and go with different Governments. Greatorex remains there,permanent, unchangeable. Get into his good graces, and your fortune ismade."
Guy promised that he would do his best to propitiate the all-powerfulGreatorex. Two days later he left. He undertook to pay them a farewellvisit before he started for Spain.
The Earl and his daughter