"Oh, well, you mustn't let them bore you, you know, my boy. You must
consider yourself quite free to cut off and amuse yourself some other
way whenever you get tired of them."
"And leave it all to you, sir!" said Stafford, with a smile; but as he
spoke he drew a breath of relief; he should be free to help the
beautiful, lovely girl of Herondale.
A few hours later the visitors arrived, and before dinner the superb
drawing-room was, if not crowded, sufficiently well filled with the
brilliant company.
Nearly all the guests were extremely wealthy, most of them were
powerful, either in the region of politics or finance; and the
fashionable world was represented by some beautiful women with dresses
and diamonds above reproach, and some young men whose names stood high
at Hurlingham and Prinses.
Stafford stood beside his father as Sir Stephen went from group to
group, greeting one and another in his frank and genial yet polished
manner, which grew warm and marked by scarcely repressed pride, as he
introduced Stafford.
"My son, Lady Fitzharford. I think he has had the pleasure of meeting
you? I scarcely know who are his friends: we have been separated so
long! But we are restored to each other at last, I am happy to say!
Lady Clansford, you know my boy? Ah, he has had the advantage of me all
these years; he has not had to rush all over Europe, but has been able
to bask in the sunshine of grace and beauty. Griffinberg, I want my son
to know you. You and I are such old friends that you won't mind me
showing that I am proud of him, eh?" and he laid his hand on Stafford's
shoulder with an air of pride and affection.
"What a lovely place Sir Stephen has made of this, Mr. Orme," said Lady
Clansford; "we were quite startled as we drove up, and simply
bewildered when we got inside. This room is really--oh well, I'm
beggared for adjectives!"
Stafford went about, listening to the encomiums on his father or the
house, and making appropriate responses; but he was rather relieved
when the butler announced dinner.
The dining-room received its meed of praise from the guests, and the
elaborate _menu_ caused some of the men to beam with inward
satisfaction. It was a superb dinner, served with a stateliness which
could not have been exceeded if royalty had been amongst the guests.
The plate was magnificent, the flowers arranged by an artist's hand, in
rich and yet chaste abundance. Stafford, as he looked from the bottom
of the table to Sir Stephen at the head, felt with a thrill of pride
that his father was the most distinguished-looking man of them all; and
he noticed that in the tone of both the men and the women who addressed
him there was that subtle note which indicates respect and the
consideration which men and women of the world pay to one who has
achieved greatness.