"Or possibly not seriously enough," responded Don Carlos, his grave
face crinkling into a smile. "I am hopelessly in love with her, my
dear Standish, and mean to make her fall in love with me. What are we
going to do in the circumstances?"
"Really, I don't know, Don Carlos," answered Standish, deciding that
the other was jesting. "It's frightfully awkward. Frightfully!
Er--you see, old chap, Myra says she won't come to Auchinleven for the
shooting if you are going to be one of the party, and--er--well, as you
can understand, that places me in a frightfully awkward position."
"I fully realise that, Mr. Standish," said Don Carlos very gravely,
after a long pause which increased Tony's embarrassment. "I, also, am
now placed in an awkward position. I have told many of my friends and
acquaintances to-day that I have been invited to Auchinleven for the
shooting by my friend Mr. Antony Standish, and now I shall have to
explain to everyone that the invitation is cancelled because my friend
fears I shall continue to make love to his fiancée, and Miss Rostrevor
fears I may abduct her, persuade her to elope with me, or something of
the sort. Yes, decidedly a difficult situation!"
"Here, I say, Don Carlos, you'll make me and Myra the laughing-stock of
London if you tell people that!" Tony protested, looking quite
distressed. "Myra will be furious with me and with you, and--er--I--I
suppose you are thinking I am a mean sort of skunk. I'm frightfully
sorry! I say, old chap, can't you suggest some way out of the
difficulty?"
"Well, possibly if I were permitted to have a talk with Miss Rostrevor,
and explain why I have been making love to her, she might understand
matters better and raise no objection to my figuring as a guest at
Auchinleven," said Don Carlos, after another thoughtful pause.
"Jolly good idea!" Tony exclaimed. "I'm quite sure if you explained
matters tactfully to Myra she would understand you have really only
been trying to pay her compliments. Myra's a good sort, and I feel
sure she will accept your explanation."
Don Carlos made no immediate response. He dropped his cigarette into
an ash-tray, rose to his feet with a sigh, and strolled to the window
of his sitting room to gaze out absently across the Green Park.
"'There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which
I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a
rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man
with a maid,'" he said at length, as if to himself. "So it is written
in the Book of Proverbs."