Part 5 (1/2)
”Only that you had better stay, uarantee you will seeof , the little drahtfully he balanced the pistol he was still holding on the pal, while I watched hi, half with a reluctant sort of adhtened as though he were dwelling on a pleasing reht be , hilarious, in fact, if it were not for the lady in the case”
”The lady!” I echoed involuntarily
”And why not indeed?” he said with a shrug ”Let us do our best to be consistent What drama is complete without a lady in it? It would have been simpler, I admit, if I had stolen the paper, per se, and not the lady with it The lady, I fear, is becoht a woman with you across the ocean?”
He placed the pistol on the table before hied its position
”A lady, my son, not a woman You will find that the two are quite different species I fear she had but little choice That is a pretty lock on Mr Lawton's weapon”
”You mean she is here now?” I persisted He must surely have been in jest
”To be sure!” he acquiesced ”She is, I trust, asleep in the east guest room, and heaven help you if you wake her But why do you start, my son, does it seem odd to you that I should act as squire?”
”Not in the least,” I assured him ”I am only astonished that she should consent to accompany you You say, sir, that she is a lady?”
”At least,” he replied, ”I a your education That in itself, Henry, quite repays me for any trouble Ia bad construction on it I beg of you, do not judge ?--Bayard himself, up to the present moment, could only co her to this house,” I suggested coldly
”Precisely,” he replied ”That in itself was actuated by the highest piece of altruisard a father has for his son”
”Do youme into this business?”
I was still on my feet, and took a quick step toward hih to find you what you are? You've done enough toan insult”
My father nodded, quite as though he were receiving a coly still well pleased, he helped hiers carefully with his lace handkerchief
”You ently ”My present occupation requires a shrewder head and a steadier hand than yours”
”And a different code of
”Positively,Puritan,” he ree for the faue, but it re, the dining roo away from the table My father leapt to his feet, bland and obsequious A girl with dark hair and eyes was standing on the threshold, staring at us curiously, holding a candle that softened the austerity of her plain black dress There in the half light there was a slender grace about her that uely unreal In that disordered rooruous as some portrait from a house across the water, as coldly unresponsive to her surroundings I i all the traits of the family line--the same quiet assurance, the sah forehead and clear cut features
Evidently a sih my father's mind
”Ah, Madeue, ”stay where you are! Stay but a moment! For as you stand there in the shadows, you epitorace, their pride, their beauty”