The young man stared and then broke into a hearty laugh.
"Pardon me, sir, but that is impossible."
"It isn't, confound you!" said Braddock, who did not like being laughed
at. "I know women."
"You don't know your daughter."
"Step-daughter, you mean."
"Ah, perhaps the more distant relationship accounts for your ignorance
of her character," said Random dryly. "You are quite wrong. I was in
love with Miss Kendal, and asked her to be my wife before I went on
leave. She refused me, saying that she loved Hope, and because of her
refusal I took my broken heart to Monte Carlo, where I lost much more
money than I had any right to lose."
"Your broken heart seems to have mended quickly," said Braddock, who was
trying to suppress his wrath at this instance of Lucy's duplicity, for
so he considered it.
"Oh, pooh, it's only my way of speaking," laughed the young man. "If my
heart had been really broken I should not have mentioned the fact."
"Then you did not love Lucy, and you dared to play fast and loose with
her affections," raged Braddock, stamping.
"You are quite wrong," said Sir Frank sharply; "I did love Miss Kendal,
or I should certainly not have asked her to be my wife. But when she
told me that she loved another man, I stood aside as any fellow would."
"You should have insisted on--"
"On nothing, sir. I am not the man to force a woman to give me a heart
which belongs to another person. I am very glad that Miss Kendal is
engaged to Hope, as he is a capital fellow, and will make her a better
husband than I ever could have made her. Besides," Random shrugged his
shoulders, "one nail drives another out."
"Humph! That means you love another."
"I am not bound to tell you my private affairs, Professor."
"Quite so: quite so; but Inez is a pretty and romantic name."
"I don't know what you are talking about, sir," said Random stiffly.
Braddock chuckled, having read the truth in the flush which had crept
over Random's tanned face.
"I ask your pardon," he said elaborately. "I am an old man, and I
was your father's friend. You must not mind if I have been a trifle
inquisitive."
"Say no more, sir: that is all right."
"I don't agree with you, Random. Things are not all right and never will
be until my mummy is discovered. Now you can help me."
"In what way?" asked the other uneasily.
"With money. Understand, my boy," added the Professor in a genial way
which he knew well how to assume, "I should have preferred Lucy becoming
your wife. However, since she prefers Hope, there's no more to be said
on that score. I therefore will not make the offer I came here to make."