knowingly.
"Tantrums, eh? Oh, I know her. No, I do not care an I do not see her; 'tis little enough she cares for me, though she's as thick as thieves with Tracy–oh, ay, I'll be dumb."
They walked slowly back to the house, Andrew, silent for once, twirling his gold-mounted cane.
"You shall have the money, of course. When do you want it?" said Richard presently.
"'Pon honour, you're a devilish good fellow, Dick! But if 'tis like to put you to any–"
"Nonsense. When do you need it?"
"I should pay Carew as soon as may be. Markham can wait over if—"
"No, no! Wednesday?"
"'Twill do excellently well. Dick, you're a—"
"Oh, pshaw! 'Tis nought. I want your opinion on the bay mare I bought last week. You'll maybe think her a trifle long in the leg, but she's a fine animal."
John had run indoors, and the two men proceeded to the stables alone, Andrew discoursing all the way, recounting for his brother-in-law's benefit the choicest morsels of scandal that were circulating town at the moment. That his auditor but attended with half an ear affected him not at all; he never paused for an answer, and, in any case, was far too good-natured to care if he received none.
By the time they had duly inspected the mare and walked back to the house, it was nearly four o'clock, and, not altogether to Carstares' surprise, Lavinia was awaiting them on the terrace, clad in a totally different gown, and with her hair freshly arranged and curled.
"'Twould appear that Lavinia has recovered," remarked Andrew as they mounted the steps. "She was ever thus–not two minutes the same. Well, Lavvy?"
"Well, Andrew?" She gave him a careless hand to kiss, but smiled sweetly up at her husband. "My headache is so much better," she told him, "and they said that Andrew was come to see you. So I came downstairs." She turned eagerly to her brother. "Tell me, Andrew, is Tracy at home?"
"Lord, yes! He arrived yesterday, devil take him! Do you want him?"
"Oh, yes," she nodded. "I want to see him again. I've not set eyes on him for an age. I want you to take me back with you."
"Surely, my dear, 'tis a trifle late in the day for such a drive?" demurred Richard, trying to conceal his annoyance. "Can you not wait until to-morrow?"
"Faith, you'll have to, Lavvy, for I'll not take you to-day, that's certain. I'm riding to Fletcher's when I leave here. Tracy can visit you to-morrow an he chooses."
"Will he?" she asked doubtfully.
Andrew clapped his hand to his vest pocket. "If I had not forgot!" he exclaimed. "I've a letter from him for you. He intends waiting on you to-morrow, in any case. Lord, what it is to have a scatter brain like mine!" He pulled a handful of papers from his pocket and selected one, sealed, and addressed in a sloping Italian handwriting.
Lavinia pounced upon it joyfully, and tore it open. Andrew restored the rest of the documents to his pocket with yet another rueful laugh.
"Duns, Richard! Duns!"
"Give them to me," answered the other, holding out his hand.
"Oh, no! But many thanks, Dick. These are quite unimportant."
"Why not pay them all, and start afresh?" urged Carstares.
"Lord, no! Why, I should be so damned elated that before the day was out there'd be a score of fresh debts staring me in the face!"
"Let me lend you a thousand to begin on? Could you not keep out of debt?"
"I keep out of debt? Impossible! Don't look so solemn, Dick; I told you 'twas in the blood. We never have a penny to bless ourselves with, but what's the odds? I shall have a run of luck soon–a man can't always lose. Then I shall be able to repay you, but, of course, I shan't. It'll all go at the next table. I know!" He spoke so ingenuously that Richard could not be angry with him. There was a certain frankness about him that pleased, and though he might be spendthrift and heedless, and colossally selfish, Richard felt a genuine affection for him. He would have liked to argue the point further, but Lavinia came forward, refolding her letter.
"Tracy is
"Tantrums, eh? Oh, I know her. No, I do not care an I do not see her; 'tis little enough she cares for me, though she's as thick as thieves with Tracy–oh, ay, I'll be dumb."
They walked slowly back to the house, Andrew, silent for once, twirling his gold-mounted cane.
"You shall have the money, of course. When do you want it?" said Richard presently.
"'Pon honour, you're a devilish good fellow, Dick! But if 'tis like to put you to any–"
"Nonsense. When do you need it?"
"I should pay Carew as soon as may be. Markham can wait over if—"
"No, no! Wednesday?"
"'Twill do excellently well. Dick, you're a—"
"Oh, pshaw! 'Tis nought. I want your opinion on the bay mare I bought last week. You'll maybe think her a trifle long in the leg, but she's a fine animal."
John had run indoors, and the two men proceeded to the stables alone, Andrew discoursing all the way, recounting for his brother-in-law's benefit the choicest morsels of scandal that were circulating town at the moment. That his auditor but attended with half an ear affected him not at all; he never paused for an answer, and, in any case, was far too good-natured to care if he received none.
By the time they had duly inspected the mare and walked back to the house, it was nearly four o'clock, and, not altogether to Carstares' surprise, Lavinia was awaiting them on the terrace, clad in a totally different gown, and with her hair freshly arranged and curled.
"'Twould appear that Lavinia has recovered," remarked Andrew as they mounted the steps. "She was ever thus–not two minutes the same. Well, Lavvy?"
"Well, Andrew?" She gave him a careless hand to kiss, but smiled sweetly up at her husband. "My headache is so much better," she told him, "and they said that Andrew was come to see you. So I came downstairs." She turned eagerly to her brother. "Tell me, Andrew, is Tracy at home?"
"Lord, yes! He arrived yesterday, devil take him! Do you want him?"
"Oh, yes," she nodded. "I want to see him again. I've not set eyes on him for an age. I want you to take me back with you."
"Surely, my dear, 'tis a trifle late in the day for such a drive?" demurred Richard, trying to conceal his annoyance. "Can you not wait until to-morrow?"
"Faith, you'll have to, Lavvy, for I'll not take you to-day, that's certain. I'm riding to Fletcher's when I leave here. Tracy can visit you to-morrow an he chooses."
"Will he?" she asked doubtfully.
Andrew clapped his hand to his vest pocket. "If I had not forgot!" he exclaimed. "I've a letter from him for you. He intends waiting on you to-morrow, in any case. Lord, what it is to have a scatter brain like mine!" He pulled a handful of papers from his pocket and selected one, sealed, and addressed in a sloping Italian handwriting.
Lavinia pounced upon it joyfully, and tore it open. Andrew restored the rest of the documents to his pocket with yet another rueful laugh.
"Duns, Richard! Duns!"
"Give them to me," answered the other, holding out his hand.
"Oh, no! But many thanks, Dick. These are quite unimportant."
"Why not pay them all, and start afresh?" urged Carstares.
"Lord, no! Why, I should be so damned elated that before the day was out there'd be a score of fresh debts staring me in the face!"
"Let me lend you a thousand to begin on? Could you not keep out of debt?"
"I keep out of debt? Impossible! Don't look so solemn, Dick; I told you 'twas in the blood. We never have a penny to bless ourselves with, but what's the odds? I shall have a run of luck soon–a man can't always lose. Then I shall be able to repay you, but, of course, I shan't. It'll all go at the next table. I know!" He spoke so ingenuously that Richard could not be angry with him. There was a certain frankness about him that pleased, and though he might be spendthrift and heedless, and colossally selfish, Richard felt a genuine affection for him. He would have liked to argue the point further, but Lavinia came forward, refolding her letter.
"Tracy is
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