"All right," said Bertie, "come along! But I warn you, you'll only meet
with a cold reception; just a smile and a word and then she'll look
away as if she'd forgotten your existence, and had not the least desire
to remember it."
"Oh, I'm used to that," said Howard. "Lead on."
As they crossed the room, Howard's acute brain was hard at work. There
was something in Stafford's conduct, a tone in his letters which Howard
could never understand; but now, in the light of Bertie's mysterious
communication, he thought he discerned a solution of the problem over
which he had pondered for many an hour. Stafford had been unhappy
during the whole of his engagement to poor Maude; he had exiled himself
again immediately after her death, though, as Howard knew, he was well
enough off now to return to England and to live, at any rate, in a
quiet way. If there was anything in Bertie's suggestion--Howard pursed
his lips with an air of determination. If there was anything, then he
would find it out and act accordingly. Stafford's happiness was very
precious to Howard, and in the quiet, resolute, cynical way
characteristic to him, he resolved that if that happiness lay in the
hands of this beautiful girl with the sad eyes and lips, he, Howard,
would do his best to persuade her to yield it up.
His reception was certainly not encouraging. Ida glanced at him, and
returned his bow with a slight inclination of her head, and then looked
away as if she had done all that could be demanded of her; and it was
with a faint surprise, perceptible in her face, that she heard Howard
say, in his slow, and rather drawling voice: "There is a conservatory behind that glass door, Miss Heron; it is not
very far from the madding crowd, but it must be cooler than here. Will
you let me take you to it?"
She hesitated for a moment, but something in the steady regard of
Howard's calm and sleepy eyes impressed her.
"Very well," she said; "but I think I'm engaged for this next dance,
and I must not go far away. I have already broken two or three
engagements."
"In that case you can come without hesitation," he said. "It is the
first crime that costs a pang, having passed that the downward course
is easy and painless."
He led her to a seat, and with the cool determination which Stafford
always admired in him, began at once; for he did not wish to give her
time to slip on her woman's armour; he intended to strike quickly,
unexpectedly, so that she should not be able to conceal the effect of
the blow.