Father Stafford | Page 7

we will not discuss the truth. But as to the zeal, what do
you say to the example of it among us now?" And the Bishop, lowering

his voice, indicated Stafford.
Morewood directed a glance at him.
"He's mad!" he said briefly.
"I wish there were a few more with the same mania about."
"You don't believe all he does?"
"Perhaps I can't see all he does," said the Bishop, with a touch of
sadness.
"How do you mean?"
"I have been longer in the cave, and perhaps I have peered too much
through cave-spectacles."
Morewood looked at him for a moment.
"I'm sorry if I've been rude, Bishop," he said more quietly, "but a man
must say what he thinks."
"Not at all times," said the Bishop; and he turned pointedly to Mrs.
Lane and began to discuss indifferent matters.
Morewood looked round with a discontented air. Miss Chambers was
mortally angry with him and had turned to Bob Territon, whom she
was trying to persuade to come to a bazaar at Bellminster on the
Monday. Bob was recalcitrant, and here too the atmosphere became a
little disturbed. The only people apparently content were Kate and
Haddington and Lady Claudia and Stafford. To the rest it was a relief
when Mrs. Lane gave the signal to rise.
Matters improved, however, in the drawing-room. The Bishop and
Stafford were soon deep in conversation; and Claudia, thus deprived of
her former companion, condescended to be very gracious to Mr.
Morewood, in the secret hope that that eccentric genius would make
her the talk of the studios next summer by painting her portrait.

Haddington and Bob had vanished with cigars; and Eugene looking
round and seeing that all was peace, said to himself in an access of
dutifulness. "Now for it!" and crossed over to where Kate sat, and
invited her to accompany him into the garden.
Kate acquiesced, but showed little other sign of relaxing her attitude of
lofty displeasure. She left Eugene to begin.
"I'm awfully sorry, Kate, if you were vexed this morning."
Absolute silence.
"But, you see, as host here, I couldn't very well turn out Lady Claudia."
"Why don't you say Claudia?" asked Kate, in sarcastic tones.
Eugene felt inclined to fly, but he recognized that his only chance lay in
pretending innocence when he had it not.
"Are we to quarrel about a trifle of that sort?" he asked; "a girl I've
known like a sister for the last ten years!"
Kate smiled bitterly.
"Do you really suppose that deceives me? Of course I am not afraid of
your falling in love with Claudia; but it's very bad taste to have
anything at all like flirtation with her."
"Quite right; it is. It shall not occur again. Isn't that enough?"
Kate, in spite of her confidence, was not anxious to drive Eugene with
too tight a rein, so, with a nearer approach to graciousness she allowed
it to appear that it was enough.
"Then come along," he said, passing his arm around her waist, and
running her briskly along the terrace to a seat at the end, where he
deposited her.
"Really, Eugene, one would think you were a schoolboy. Suppose any

one had seen us!"
"Some one did," said Eugene composedly, lighting his cigar.
"Who?"
"Haddington. He was sitting on the step of the sun-dial, smoking."
"How annoying! What's he doing there?"
"If you ask me, I expect he's waiting on the chance of Lady Claudia
coming out."
"I should think it very unlikely," said Kate, with an impatient tap of her
foot; "and I wish you wouldn't do such things."
Eugene smiled; and having thus, as he conceived, partly avenged
himself, devoted the next ten minutes to orthodox love-making, with
the warmth of which Kate had no reason to be discontent. On the
expiration of that time he pleaded his obligations as a host, and they
returned to the house, Kate much mollified, Eugene with the peaceful
but fatigued air that tells of duty done.
Before going to bed, Stafford and Eugene managed to get a few words
together. Leaving the other men, except the Bishop, who was already at
rest, in the billiard-room, they strolled out together on to the terrace.
"Well, old man, how are you getting on?" asked Eugene.
"Capitally! stronger every day in body and happier in mind. I grumbled
a great deal when I first broke down, but now I'm not sure a rest isn't
good for me. You can stop and have a look where you are going to."
"And you think you can stand it?"
"Stand what, my dear fellow?"
"Why, the life you lead--a life studiously emptied of everything that
makes life pleasant."

"Ah! you are like Lady Claudia!" said Stafford, smiling. "I can tell you,
though, what I can