“Of course not.  We shall have some tea presently.  How glad I am to see you!—­I must introduce you to Mrs. Hannaford.”

“Delighted, my dear boy!  How well you look!—­stop though; you are not looking very well——­”

Piers broke into extravagant gaiety.

CHAPTER VI

There had only been time to satisfy Daniel’s profound and touching interest in his brother’s work for the examination when the tea bell rang, and they went down to the drawing-room.  Piers noticed that Mrs. Hannaford had made a special toilet; so rarely did a new acquaintance enter the house that she was a little fluttered in receiving Daniel Otway, whose manners evidently impressed and pleased her.  Had he known his brother well, Piers would have understood that this exhibition of fine courtesy meant a peculiar interest on Daniel’s part.  Such interest was not difficult to excite; there needed only an agreeable woman’s face of a type not familiar to him, in circumstances which offered the chance of intimacy.  And Mrs. Hannaford, as it happened, made peculiar appeal to Daniel’s sensibilities.  As they conversed, her thin cheeks grew warm, her eyes gathered light; she unfolded a charm of personality barely to be divined in her usual despondent mood.

Daniel’s talk was animated, varied, full of cleverness and character.  No wonder if his hostess thought that she had never met so delightful a man.  Incidentally, in quite the permissible way, he made known that he was a connoisseur of art; he spoke of his travels on the track of this or that old master, of being consulted by directors of great Galleries, by wealthy amateurs.  He was gracefully anecdotic; he allowed one to perceive a fine enthusiasm.  And Piers listened quite as attentively as Mrs. Hannaford, for he had no idea how Daniel made his living.  The kernel of truth in this fascinating representation was that Daniel Otway, among other things, collected bric-a-brac for a certain. dealer, and at times himself disposed of it to persons with more money than knowledge or taste.  At the age of thirty-eight this was the point he had reached in a career which once promised brilliant things.  In whatever profession he had steadily pursued, Daniel would have come to the front; but precisely that steady pursuit was the thing impossible to him.  His special weakness, originally amiable, had become an enthralling vice; the soul of goodness in the man was corrupted, and had turned poisonous.

The conversation was still unflagging when Olga and her cousin returned from their day’s ramble.  Daniel was presented to them.  Olga at once noticed her mother’s strange vivacity, and, sitting silent, closely observed Mr. Otway.  Irene, also, studied him with her keen eyes; not, one would have guessed, with very satisfactory results.  As time was drawing on, Mrs. Hannaford presently asked Daniel if he could give them the pleasure of staying to dine; and Daniel accepted without a moment’s hesitation.  When the ladies retired to dress, he went up to Piers’ room, where a little dialogue of some importance passed between the brothers.