That night they were a family party of four, and Lady Constance noticed
that her guardian's manner was considerably more cheerful than was its
wont, and that during dinner he glanced with even more affection than
usual at the handsome face of his only son. Afterwards, when the old man
had returned to his own apartments, Adrien found his cousin in the
silver drawing-room, with Miss Penelope. The latter had taken up her
latest novel, and was devouring it with rapt attention.
Lady Constance, with a smile, beckoned to her cousin and made room for
him beside her on the Chesterfield. He sank down with a sigh of content.
"You leave us to-morrow then?" she began, in a tone of calm inquiry.
He was filled with an insane longing to seize her in his arms, and cover
her face with kisses; but he restrained himself, though he bent nearer
to her as he said in a low voice:
"Yes, I am going back to try and put my affairs in better order. My
father has been pulling me up--quite rightly, of course. I ought to have
seen to these things before. I am afraid I have not been a good son to
him."
"You do not see him very often, do you?" said Lady Constance, who knew
to a day how often Adrien had visited the Castle during the last twelve
months, during which she herself had sighed for his absence.
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