"One moment," replied Miles. "Jack's mare is in a shed somewhere. I saidI would see to her."
"Andrew!" called his Grace. "When you have finished superintending thelaying of the supper, give orders concerning Carstares' mare!"
A casual assent came from outside, and immediately afterwards LordAndrew's voice was heard shouting instructions to someone, evidentlysome way off.
On the whole, the supper-party passed off quite smoothly. His Grace wassmilingly urbane, Andrew boisterous and amusing, and O'Hara bent onkeeping the conversation up. Richard sat rather silent, but my lord,already deliriously happy, soon let fall his armour and joined in thetalk, anxious to hear all the news of town for the last six years.
O'Hara was several times hard put to it to keep from laughing out loudat his thoughts. The humour of the situation struck him forcibly. Afterfighting as grimly as these men fought, and after all that hadtranspired, that they should both sit down to supper as they were doing,appealed to him strongly. He had quite thought that my lord wouldincline to tragedy and refuse to stay an instant longer in the Duke'shouse.
It was not until midnight, when everyone else had gone to bed, that thebrothers came face to face, alone. The dining-room was very quiet now,and the table bore a dissipated look with the remains of supper left onit. My lord stood absently playing with the long-handled punch spoon,idly stirring the golden dregs at the bottom of the bowl. The candlesshed their light full on his face, and Richard, standing opposite in theshadow, had ample opportunity of studying it.
It seemed to him that he could not look long enough. Unconsciously hiseyes devoured every detail of the loved countenance and watched eachmovement of the slender hand. He found John subtly changed, but quitehow he could not define. He had not aged much, and he was still the samelaughter-loving Jack of the old days, with just that intangibledifference. O'Hara had felt it, too: a slight impenetrability, areserve.
It was my lord who broke the uncomfortable silence. As if he felt theother's eyes upon him, he looked up with his appealing, whimsical smile.
"Devil take it, Dick, we're as shy as two schoolboys!"
Richard did not smile, and his brother came round the table to his side.
"There's nought to be said betwixt us two, Dick. 'Twould be so damnedunnecessary. After all--we always shared in one another's scrapes!"
He stood a moment with his hand on Richard's shoulder; then Richardturned to him "What you must _think_ of me!" he burst out. "My God, whenI realise--"
"I know. Believe me, Dick, I know just what you must have felt. But prayforget it! It's over now, and buried."
There was another long silence. Lord John withdrew his hand at last, andperched on the edge of the table, smiling across at Richard.
"I'd well-nigh forgot that you were a middle-aged papa! A son?"
"Ay--John--after you."
"I protest I am flattered. Lord, to think of you with a boy of yourown!" He laughed, twirling his eyeglass.
At last Richard smiled.
"To think of you an uncle!" he retorted, and suddenly all vestige ofstiffness had fled.
* * * * *
Next morning Richard went on to Wyncham, and Diana, Jack and O'Haratravelled back to Sussex. Jack would not go home yet. He protested thathe was going to be married first, and would then bring home hisCountess. But he had several instructions to give his brother concerningthe preparation of his house. The last thing he requested Richard to dowas to seek out a certain city merchant, Fudby by name, and to rescue aclerk, Chilter, from him, bearing him off to Wyncham. All this he calledfrom the coach window, just before they set off.
Richard led Jenny, whom he was to ride home, up to the door of thevehicle, and expostulated.
"But what in thunder am I to do with the man?"
"Give him to Warburton," advised Jack flippantly. "I know he needs aclerk--he always did!"
"But perhaps he will not desire to come--"
"You do as I tell you!" laughed his brother. "I shall expect to find himat Wyncham when I arrive! _Au revoir_!" He drew his head in, and thecoach rumbled off.
CHAPTER XXIX
LADY O'HARA IS TRIUMPHANT
After spending a restless night, starting at every sound, and hearingthe hours strike slowly away, Lady O'Hara arose not a whit refreshed andconsiderably more ill at ease than she had been before.
During the night she had imagined all sorts of impossible horrors tohave befallen her husband, and if, when the reassuring daylight hadcome, the horrors had somewhat dispersed, enough remained to cause heran anxious morning as she alternated between the hall window and thegate.