"Oh, yes; quite," he replied.
She looked at him rather doubtfully.
"You are thinner, and----"
"Older," he said, with a smile.
"I was not going to say that; but I was going to say that you looked as
if you had not been sparing yourself lately."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"I had rather a rough time of it in Africa--and a touch of fever. It
always leaves its mark, you know."
She nodded as if she accepted the explanation; but she was not
satisfied. A touch of fever does not leave behind the expression of
weariness which brooded in his eyes.
"If you are not too tired, will you come round with me?" she said.
"There's an opportunity now, for all the people are out riding or
driving, and we shall be more free than we shall be when they come
bustling in."
"Certainly," he said, opening the door for her. "I suppose you have
filled the house? Is it a large party?"
"I am afraid it is," she said, apologetically; "but the house is not
quite full, for some of the people who are coming to the dance to-morrow
will have to stay the night. By the way, I asked you if there was any
one to whom you would like me to send a card, but you did not reply."
"Didn't I? I humbly beg your pardon, countess! No, there was no one."
He looked round the hall admiringly.
"You have done wonders!" he said; "and in such a short time! I rode over
here from the hotel the other day, and imagined they would take at least
a month to finish. And is that the old drawing-room? Can it be possible!
It is charming! Ah, you have left the dining room untouched--that's
right."
Lady Angleford laughed.
"There is not an inch of it that has not been touched; but with reverent
hands, I hope. It is upstairs that we have done most. The bedrooms, you
will admit, wanted thorough renovating."
"Yes, yes," he said, as he walked beside her. "It's all perfect. It must
have cost a great deal of money."
She nodded.
"Oh, yes; but it does not matter, you know."
He glanced at her questioningly.
"It really does not," she said. "Have you any idea how rich you are,
Drake?"
He shook his head.
"I'm ashamed to say that I don't quite know how I stand. The lawyers
jawed about it the other day, and I did fully manage to understand that
my uncle had left me everything. Was that fair, countess?" he added
gravely.