And in the heart of that irreverent young man, Harbinger, there stirred a sort of misgiving.  Had he expressed himself too freely?  Had he said anything too thick?  He had forgotten the old boy!  Stirring Bertie up with his foot, he murmured “Forgot you didn’t know, sir.  Bertie will explain.”

Thus called on, Bertie, opening his lips a very little way, and fixing his half-closed eyes on his great-uncle, explained.  There was a lady at the cottage—­a nice woman—­Mr. Courtier knew her—­old Miltoun went there sometimes—­rather late the other evening—­these devils were making the most of it—­suggesting—­lose him the election, if they didn’t look out.  Perfect rot, of course!

In his opinion, old Miltoun, though as steady as Time, had been a flat to let the woman come out with him on to the Green, showing clearly where he had been, when he ran to Courtier’s rescue.  You couldn’t play about with women who had no form that anyone knew anything of, however promising they might look.

Then, out of a silence Winlow asked:  What was to be done?  Should Miltoun be wired for?  A thing like this spread like wildfire!  Sir William—­a man not accustomed to underrate difficulties—­was afraid it was going to be troublesome.  Harbinger expressed the opinion that the editor ought to be kicked.  Did anybody know what Courtier had done when he heard of it.  Where was he—­dining in his room?  Bertie suggested that if Miltoun was at Valleys House, it mightn’t be too late to wire to him.  The thing ought to be stemmed at once!  And in all this concern about the situation there kept cropping out quaint little outbursts of desire to disregard the whole thing as infernal insolence, and metaphorically to punch the beggars’ heads, natural to young men of breeding.

Then, out of another silence came the voice of Lord Dennis: 

“I am thinking of this poor lady.”

Turning a little abruptly towards that dry suave voice, and recovering the self-possession which seldom deserted him, Harbinger murmured: 

“Quite so, sir; of course!”

CHAPTER IX

In the lesser withdrawing room, used when there was so small a party, Mrs. Winlow had gone to the piano and was playing to herself, for Lady Casterley, Lady Valleys, and her two daughters had drawn together as though united to face this invading rumour.

It was curious testimony to Miltoun’s character that, no more here than in the dining-hall, was there any doubt of the integrity of his relations with Mrs. Noel.  But whereas, there the matter was confined to its electioneering aspect, here that aspect was already perceived to be only the fringe of its importance.  Those feminine minds, going with intuitive swiftness to the core of anything which affected their own males, had already grasped the fact that the rumour would, as it were, chain a man of Miltoun’s temper to this woman.