Mrs. Lorton echoed his exclamation, and her face flushed with all a
woman's delight as she gazed at the diamond bracelet reposing on its bed
of white plush.
"Really----My dear Mr. Vernon!" she gasped. "How--how truly magnificent!
But surely not for me--for me!"
He was beginning to get, if not uncomfortable, a little bored, with a
man's hatred of fuss.
"I'm afraid there's not much magnificence about it," he said, rather
shortly. "I hope you like the pattern, style, or whatever you call it. I
had to risk it, not being there to choose. And there's a gun in that
case, Dick."
Dick made an indecent grab for the larger parcel, and, tearing off the
wrapper, opened the thick leather case and took out a costly gun.
"And a Greener!" he exclaimed. "A Greener! I say, you know, sir----"
He laughed excitedly, his face flushed with delight, as he carried the
gun to the window.
"Is it not perfect, simply perfect, Eleanor?" said Mrs. Lorton, holding
out her arm with the bracelet on her wrist. "Really, I don't think you
could have chosen a handsomer one, Mr. Vernon, if you had gone to London
to do so."
"I am glad you are pleased with it," he said simply.
"Pleased? It is perfect! Eleanor, haven't you a word to say? No; I
imagine you are too overwhelmed for words," said Mrs. Lorton, with a
kind of cackle.
"It is very beautiful, mamma," she said gravely; and her face, as she
leaned over the thing, was grave also.
Drake looked at her as he rose, and understood the look and the tone of
her voice, and was glad that he had resisted the almost irresistible
temptation to order a somewhat similar present for her.
"I say, sir, you must get your gun down, and we must go for some
rabbits," said Dick eagerly. "And I can get a day or two's shooting over
the Maltby land as soon as the season opens. I'm sure they'd give it
me."
"That's tempting, Dick," said Drake; "and it adds another cause to my
regret that I am leaving to-morrow."
"Leaving to-morrow!" exclaimed Mrs. Lorton, with a gasp. "Surely not!
You are not thinking, dreaming of going, my dear Mr. Vernon?"
"It's very good of you," he said, picking up his cap and nearing the
door. "But I couldn't stay forever, you know. I've trespassed on your
hospitality too much already."