For this distinguished occasion the landlady had lent a
dining-room and drawing-room on the ground floor, just deserted by a
fashionable bachelor lodger who had left town at the close of the season.
This drawing-room on the ground floor, like the room above, overlooked
the Park, and to this apartment the Captain requested his guests to
adjourn, with the exception of Mr. Hawkehurst, some little time after the
departure of the servants.
"I want to have a few words with Val in private," he said; "I have a
secret to communicate. Diana, show Mrs. Hawkehurst the Drive. You can see
the Bow from my room, but not from these lower windows. There are a good
many carriages still, but it is too late for the _creme de la creme_. I
remember when the West End was a desert at this time of year; but I have
lived to see the levelling of all distinctions, those of time as well as
of class."
Charlotte and Diana retired to the adjoining room with Mrs. Sheldon and
M. Lenoble. Valentine was at a loss to imagine what manner of
confidential communication his late patron and employer could desire to
impart to him. The cautious Horatio waited until the rest of the party
were quite out of hearing, talking gaily by the open window, beyond which
appeared all the fluttering life and motion of summer leaves, all the
brightness of summer green below, and deep blue sky above. When they
seemed to him to be quite engaged with their own conversation, Captain
Paget turned to his old companion.
Pages:
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525