But the tone in
which he had uttered them was perfectly careless; and Reginald's
suspicion was dispelled by the frank expression of his face.
Sir Reginald left Hallgrove a few days after the fatal accident in the
hunting-field, and went back to his London lodging, which seemed very
shabby and comfortless after the luxury of Hallgrove Rectory. He did
not care to spend his evenings at Hilton House, for he shrank from
hearing Paulina's complaints about her loneliness and poverty. The
London season had not yet begun, and there were few dupes whom the
gamester could victimize by those skilful manoeuvres which so often
helped him to success. It may be that some of the victims had
complained of their losses, and the villa inhabited by the elegant
Austrian widow had begun to be known amongst men of fashion as a place
to be avoided.
Reginald Eversleigh feared that it must be so, when he found the few
young men he met at his club rather disinclined to avail themselves of
Madame Durski's hospitality.
"Have you been to Fulham lately, Caversham?" he asked of a young
lordling, who was master of a good many thousands per annum, but not
the most talented of mankind.
"Fulham!" exclaimed Lord Caversham; "what's Fulham? Ah, to be sure, I
remember--place by the river--very nice--villas--boat-races, and that
kind of thing. Let me see, bishops, and that kind of church-going
people live at Fulham, don't they?"
"I thought you would have remembered one person who lives at Fulham--a
very handsome woman, who made a strong impression upon you.
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