Sir Eustace glanced at him sideways.  “I’ll tell you another time,” he said.  “Now look here, Stumpy!  You’re in command, and I shan’t interfere with you so long as you take reasonable care of yourself.  But you must do that.  It is the one thing I am going to insist upon.  That’s understood, is it?”

Scott smiled, his tired, gentle smile.  “Oh, certainly, my dear chap.  Don’t you worry yourself about that!  It isn’t of the first importance in any case.”

“It’s got to be done,” Sir Eustace insisted.  “So keep it in mind!”

“I haven’t been doing anything, you know,” Scott protested mildly.  “I only came down yesterday.”

“That may be.  But you haven’t been sleeping for some time.  You needn’t trouble to deny it.  I know the signs.  What have you been doing at Willowmount?”

It was a welcome change of subject, and Scott was not slow to avail himself of it.  They began to talk upon matters connected with the estate, and the personal element passed completely out of the conversation.

When they reached the white house on the cliff they almost seemed to have slipped into the old casual relations; but the younger brother was well aware that this was not so.  The change that had so amazed him was apparent to him at every turn.  The overbearing mastery to which he had been accustomed all his life had turned in some miraculous fashion into something that was oddly like deference.  It was fully evident that Eustace meant to keep his word and leave him in command.

Dinah met them in the rose-twined portico.  There was a deep flush in her cheeks; her eyes were very bright, resolutely unafraid.  She shook hands with Eustace, and he alone was aware of the tremor that ran through her whole being as she did so.

“Isabel is asleep,” she said.  “She often gets a sleep in the afternoon, and she is always the stronger for it when she wakes.  Will you have some tea before you go to her?”

They had tea in the sunny verandah overlooking the sea.  Sir Eustace was very quiet and grave, and it was Scott who gently conversed with the girl, smoothing away all difficulties.  She was plainly determined to conquer her nervousness, and she succeeded to a great extent before the ordeal was over.  But there was obvious relief in her eyes when Sir Eustace set down his cup and rose to go.

“I think I will go to her now,” he said.  “I shall not wake her.”

He went, and a great stillness fell behind him.  Scott dropped into silence, and they sat together, he smoking, she leaning back in her chair idle, with wistful eyes upon the silvery sea.

Up in Isabel’s room overhead there was neither sound nor movement, but presently there fell a soft footfall upon the stairs and the nurse came quietly through and spoke to Dinah.

“Mrs. Everard is still asleep.  Her brother is watching her and Biddy is within call.  I thought I would take a little walk on the shore, as I shall not be wanted just at present.”