"I saw him a few hours ago," he replied, "at his rooms."
"At his rooms," she repeated, with a slight frown and a quick glance at
him. "He promised to come to Richmond. Why did he not do so? Is
he--ill?"
"Ill?" said Howard, raising his brows and smiling, for he knew the
meaning of loyalty to a friend. "I never saw him in better spirits in
my life, he was quite hilarious."
Her eyes flashed upon him keenly, but he met them with his slow,
cynical smile.
"He must have been very different to what he usually is," she said. "I
have not seen him laugh since--since we left Bryndermere." Her lips
came tightly together, and she looked at him and then away from him.
"Mr. Howard, you are his friend, his closest friend. I want you to tell
me--But, no; you would not speak if you were on the rack, would you? No
one sees, no one speaks; it is only I who, always watching him, see
that there is something wrong. And I--I am so helpless!"
The outburst was so unlike her, the dropping of the mask of pride and
self-possession was so sudden that Howard was startled; but no sign of
his emotion revealed itself upon his placid face, upon which his serene
smile did not waver for an instant.
"I think you are availing yourself of a lady's privilege and indulging
in a fancy, Miss Falconer," he said. "Stafford is perfectly well, and,
of course, is perfectly happy--how could he be otherwise?" He bent his
head slightly. "Perhaps he may be a little tired. Alas! we are not all
endowed with the splendid energy which the gods have bestowed on you
and Sir Stephen; and the heat is enough to take the backbone out of
anyone less gifted."
She checked a sigh, as if she understood that it was useless to appeal
to him, and after a pause Howard said: "You haven't told me the great secret yet."
She seemed to wake from a reverie, and said, listlessly: "It will not be a secret for many hours. Sir Stephen is expecting the
peerage to-night. The official intimation should have reached him by
midday; but the prime minister did not return to London till this
afternoon and the formalities were not completed. I think it will be
announced to-night."
Her eyes shone and a spot of colour started to her cheeks.
"You are glad?" Howard said, with a smile of sympathy that had
something of mockery in it, for your worldly cynic is always amused by
worldliness in others.