very little desire to meet any crony of Mr
Drelincourt's, whom she cordially despised, and she turned with obvious reluctance. But the man who stood before her was not at all like Crosby's usual companions. None of the absurdities of the Macaroni marred the elegance of his person. He was dressed with magnificence, and he seemed to be considerably older than Mr Drelincourt.
'Lord Lethbridge, my Lady Rule!' said Crosby. 'You perceive him quite agog to meet the lady about whom the whole town is talking, dear cousin.'
Horatia, spreading her skirts in a curtsy, flushed a little, for Mr Drelincourt's words stung. She arose swimmingly and extended her hand. Lord Lethbridge received it on his wrist and bent with incomparable grace to salute it. A flicker of interest awoke in Horatia's eyes: his lordship had an air.
'Our poor Crosby has always such a happy turn of phrase,' murmured Lethbridge, and won a glimpse of a dimple. 'Ah, precisely! Let me lead you to that couch, madam.'
She took his arm and went with him across the saloon. 'C-Crosby detests me,' she confided.
'But of course,' said his lordship.
She frowned, rather puzzled. 'That isn't very c-civil, sir. Why should he?'
His brows rose in momentary surprise; he looked critically at her, and laughed. 'Oh - because he has such execrable taste, ma'am!'
It did not seem to Horatia as though this was the reason he really had in mind, and she was about to inquire deeper into the matter when he changed the subject. 'I need hardly ask, ma'am, whether you are ennuyee to the point of extinction with such affairs as these?' he said, indicating with a wave of his hand the rest of the company.
'N-no, I am not,' replied Horatia. 'I l-like it.'
'Delightful!' smiled his lordship. 'You infect even such jaded spirits as mine with enthusiasm.
She looked a little doubtful. What he said was excessively polite, but the tone he used held a tinge of light mockery which baffled while it intrigued her. 'J-jaded spirits usually seek the c-card-room, sir,' she remarked.
He was gently fanning her with the cabriolet-fan he had taken from her hand, but he paused, and said with a quizzical look: 'Ah - and so sometimes do enthusiastic ones, do they not?'
'S-sometimes,' admitted Horatia. 'You have heard all about me.'
By no means, ma'am. But when I learn of a lady who never refuses a wager, why, I desire to know more of her.' 'I am certainly very p-partial to games of chance, sir,' said Horatia wistfully.
'One day you shall play your cards against me,' said Lethbridge, 'if you will,' A voice spoke immediately behind them. "Do not play with
Lord Lethbridge, Ma'am, if you are wise!'
Horatia looked over her shoulder, Lady Massey had entered the saloon through a curtained archway, and was standing leaning her hand lightly on the back of the couch. 'Oh?' Horatia said, glancing at Lethbridge with new interest.
'Will he fleece me?'
Lady Massey laughed: 'Why ma'am I to tell you that you are talking to the most hardened gamester of our times? Be warned I implore you!
'Are you?' inquired Horatia, regarding Lethbridge, who had risen at Lady Massey's approach, and was watching her with and indefinable smile. 'Then I should l-like very m-much to play with you, I assure you!'
'You will need iron nerves, ma'am,' Lady Massey said banteringly. ' If he were not here I might tell you some shock-ing tales about him.' At that moment Lord Winwood, who was strolling to-wards the doorway, caught sight of the group by the couch, and promptly bore down upon his sister. He executed a bow in Lady Massey's direction, and bestowed a nod on Lethbridge. 'You're very obedient, ma'am. Servant, Lethbridge. I've been looking all over for you, Horry. Promised to present a fellow to you.'
Horatia got up 'Well b-but—'
The Viscount took her hand to draw it through his arm, and as he did so pinched her fingers significantly. Under- standing this brotherly nip to mean that he had something of importance to say to her, Horatia
Drelincourt's, whom she cordially despised, and she turned with obvious reluctance. But the man who stood before her was not at all like Crosby's usual companions. None of the absurdities of the Macaroni marred the elegance of his person. He was dressed with magnificence, and he seemed to be considerably older than Mr Drelincourt.
'Lord Lethbridge, my Lady Rule!' said Crosby. 'You perceive him quite agog to meet the lady about whom the whole town is talking, dear cousin.'
Horatia, spreading her skirts in a curtsy, flushed a little, for Mr Drelincourt's words stung. She arose swimmingly and extended her hand. Lord Lethbridge received it on his wrist and bent with incomparable grace to salute it. A flicker of interest awoke in Horatia's eyes: his lordship had an air.
'Our poor Crosby has always such a happy turn of phrase,' murmured Lethbridge, and won a glimpse of a dimple. 'Ah, precisely! Let me lead you to that couch, madam.'
She took his arm and went with him across the saloon. 'C-Crosby detests me,' she confided.
'But of course,' said his lordship.
She frowned, rather puzzled. 'That isn't very c-civil, sir. Why should he?'
His brows rose in momentary surprise; he looked critically at her, and laughed. 'Oh - because he has such execrable taste, ma'am!'
It did not seem to Horatia as though this was the reason he really had in mind, and she was about to inquire deeper into the matter when he changed the subject. 'I need hardly ask, ma'am, whether you are ennuyee to the point of extinction with such affairs as these?' he said, indicating with a wave of his hand the rest of the company.
'N-no, I am not,' replied Horatia. 'I l-like it.'
'Delightful!' smiled his lordship. 'You infect even such jaded spirits as mine with enthusiasm.
She looked a little doubtful. What he said was excessively polite, but the tone he used held a tinge of light mockery which baffled while it intrigued her. 'J-jaded spirits usually seek the c-card-room, sir,' she remarked.
He was gently fanning her with the cabriolet-fan he had taken from her hand, but he paused, and said with a quizzical look: 'Ah - and so sometimes do enthusiastic ones, do they not?'
'S-sometimes,' admitted Horatia. 'You have heard all about me.'
By no means, ma'am. But when I learn of a lady who never refuses a wager, why, I desire to know more of her.' 'I am certainly very p-partial to games of chance, sir,' said Horatia wistfully.
'One day you shall play your cards against me,' said Lethbridge, 'if you will,' A voice spoke immediately behind them. "Do not play with
Lord Lethbridge, Ma'am, if you are wise!'
Horatia looked over her shoulder, Lady Massey had entered the saloon through a curtained archway, and was standing leaning her hand lightly on the back of the couch. 'Oh?' Horatia said, glancing at Lethbridge with new interest.
'Will he fleece me?'
Lady Massey laughed: 'Why ma'am I to tell you that you are talking to the most hardened gamester of our times? Be warned I implore you!
'Are you?' inquired Horatia, regarding Lethbridge, who had risen at Lady Massey's approach, and was watching her with and indefinable smile. 'Then I should l-like very m-much to play with you, I assure you!'
'You will need iron nerves, ma'am,' Lady Massey said banteringly. ' If he were not here I might tell you some shock-ing tales about him.' At that moment Lord Winwood, who was strolling to-wards the doorway, caught sight of the group by the couch, and promptly bore down upon his sister. He executed a bow in Lady Massey's direction, and bestowed a nod on Lethbridge. 'You're very obedient, ma'am. Servant, Lethbridge. I've been looking all over for you, Horry. Promised to present a fellow to you.'
Horatia got up 'Well b-but—'
The Viscount took her hand to draw it through his arm, and as he did so pinched her fingers significantly. Under- standing this brotherly nip to mean that he had something of importance to say to her, Horatia
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