“Yes, bring her,” the Professor returned between the puffs at his long pipe.  “I have never met any of these new hothouse roses grafted upon briar roots.  I should like to study how the system has worked.”

“Quite admirably, as you will see.  I do not know any Englishwomen who are to compare to such Americans in brilliancy and fascination.”

Over Halcyone, in spite of her serenity, there crept a feeling of cold.  She did not then analyze why, and, as was her habit when anything began to distress her, she looked out of the window, whether it were night or day.  She always did this, and when her eyes saw Nature in any of her moods, calm returned to her.

“She will simply revel in La Sarthe Chase when she sees it,” Mr. Derringham went on, now addressing Halcyone.  “She is a past-mistress in knowledge of the dates of things.  You are going to have the most delicious neighbor, Miss Halcyone, and in learning, a foeman worthy of your steel.”

Cheiron was heard to chuckle wickedly, and when his former Oxford pupil asked him with mild humor the reason of his inappropriate mirth, he answered dryly: 

“She is never likely to see the inside of the park even.  Queen Victoria did not receive divorced persons, and the Misses La Sarthe, in consequence, cannot either.  You will have to bring her here by the road, John!”

Halcyone winced a little.  She disliked this conversation; it was not as fine as she liked to think were the methods of both the men who were carrying it on.

John Derringham reddened up to his temples, where there were a few streaks of gray in his dark hair which added to the distinction of his finely cut, rather ascetic face.  The short, well-trimmed beard was very becoming, Halcyone thought, and gave him a look of great masculinity and strength.  His hawk’s eyes were shadowed, as though he sat up very late at night; which indeed he did.  For John Derringham, at this period of his life, burnt the candle at both ends and in the middle, too, if it could add to the pleasure or benefit of his calculated career, mapped out for himself by himself.

A sensation almost of wrath rose in his breast at his old master’s words.  These ignorant country people, to dare to criticise his glittering golden pheasant, whom he was very nearly making up his mind to take for a wife!  This aspect of the case, that even these unimportant old ladies could question the position of his choice, galled him.  He had spent up to the last penny of his diminished income in his years of man’s estate, and Derringham was mortgaged to its furthest acre—­and a gentleman must live—­and with his brilliant political future expanding before him, lack of means must not be allowed to stand in his way.  He would give this woman in gratified ambition as much or more than she would give him in wealth, so it would be an equal bargain and benefit them both.  And, above all, he was more than half in love with her,