We do not, nowadays, strike attitudes, or ejaculate and swear when we
are startled or shocked; Stafford stood perfectly still, still as a
piece of Stonehenge, and gazed with an expressionless countenance at
Mr. Falconer. That the man was indeed and in truth mad, occurred to him
for a moment; then he thought there must be some mistake, that Mr.
Falconer had made a blunder in the name, and that it was a case of
mistaking his man.
But as the moments fled, and the two elder men gazed at him, as if
expecting him to speak, he remembered Howard's warning. The colour
rushed to his face and his eyes dropped. Merciful Heaven! was the man
speaking the truth when he said that he, Stafford, was in love with
Maude Falconer? His face was hot and scarlet for a moment, then it grew
pale under the shame of the thought that he should have to correct the
impression; decline, so to speak, the implied honour.
Sir Stephen was the first to speak. He had sunk back in his chair, but
was now leaning forward again, his hands gripping the table.
"Stafford!" he said, still thickly, but with the beginning of a note of
relief in his voice. "I did not know this--you did not tell me!"
Stafford turned to him helplessly. What could he say--before Falconer,
the girl's father?
"You did not tell me. But I don't complain, my boy," said Sir Stephen."
You were right to choose your own time--young people like to keep their
secret to themselves as long as possible."
Falconer looked from one to the other with an impassive countenance.
"I feel that I am rather _de trop_," he said; "that I have spoken
rather prematurely; but my hand was forced, Orme. I wanted to set your
mind at rest, to show you that even if I hankered after revenge, it was
impossible under the circumstances." He glanced at Stafford. "It's not
the first time in history that the young people have played the part of
peace-makers. This is a kind of Romeo and Juliet business, isn't it?
I'll leave you and Mr. Stafford to talk it over!"
He moved to the door, but, with his hand upon it, paused and looked
round at them again.
"I ought to aid that, like most modern fathers, I am entirely in the
hands of my daughter. I can't go so far as to say, Orme, that if I had
been permitted to choose, I should have chosen a son of yours for my
son-in-law, but, you see, Maude doesn't give me the option. The young
people have taken the bit between their teeth and bolted, and it seems
to me that the only thing we have to do is to sit tight and look as
cheerful as possible. Oh, one word more," he added, in a business-like
tone. "Of course I make over this concession to you, Orme; just taking
the share I should have received if you had won the game and I had only
stood in as proposed. That is to say, you will be in exactly the same
position as if you had won all along the line--as you thought you had."
And with a nod, which included father and son, he went out.