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"My dear Jack--no, no--lie still!"
"Lie still?" cried my lord, swinging his feet to the ground. "Not a bitof it! I am well enough, but a trifle dizzy. How in thunder did you comehere? Surely 'twas you knocked up my sword? Yes? Interfering young cub!Give me your arm a minute!"
"But why do you want to get up?" pleaded a soft voice in his ear.
"So that I can take you in my arms, sweetheart," he answered, andproceeded to do so.
Then his glance, wandering round the room, alighted on the heated groupby the table; Andrew vociferously indignant, Tracy coolly sarcastic, andO'Hara furious.
"Tare an' ouns!" ejaculated my lord. "Where _did_ they all spring from?"
"I don't quite know!" laughed Diana. "Sir Miles came a fe
w minutesago--the other gentleman came with Mr. Carstares."
"Ay, I remember him--'tis Andrew, eh, Dick? Zounds! how he has grown!But what in the world are they all fighting over? Miles! Miles, I say!"
O'Hara wheeled round, surprised.
"Oho! Ye are up, are ye." He crossed to his side. "Then sit down!"
"Since you are all so insistent, I will. How did you come here?"
O'Hara went round to the back of the couch to arrange a cushion beneaththe hurt shoulder, and leaned his arms upon the back, looking down witha laugh in his eyes.
"Faith, I rode!"
"But how did you know? Where--"
"'Twas all on account of that young rascal David," he said. "Mollyfretted and fumed all the way to the Frasers, vowing the child would beneglected, and what not, and we'd not been in the house above an hour orso, when up she jumps and says she knows that _something_ has happenedat home, and nothing will suffice but that I must drive her back. Wearrived just as Beauleigh was setting out. He told us the whole tale,and of course I had Blue Peter saddled in the twinkling of an eye andwas off after ye. But, what with taking wrong turns and me horse nothappening to be made of lightning, I couldn't arrive until now."
"You cannot have been so long after me," said Jack. "For I wasted fullhalf-an-hour outside here, trying to find an opening in the hedge forJenny to get through. She is now stalled in a shed at the bottom of thelawn with my cloak over her. I'll swear she's thirsty, too."
"I'll see to that," promised O'Hara.
Andrew came across the room and bowed awkwardly to my lord, stammering alittle. Carstares held out his hand. "Lord, Andy! I scarce knew you!"
After a moment's hesitation, Andrew took the outstretched hand andanswered, laughingly. But my lord had not failed to notice thehesitation, short though it had been.
"I--beg your pardon. I had forgot," he said stiffly.
Andrew sat down beside him, rather red about the ears.
"Oh, stuff, Jack! I'm a clumsy fool, but I did not mean that!" Richardstepped forward into the full light of the candles.
"If you will all listen to me one moment, I shall be greatly obliged,"he said steadily.
Lord John started forward.
"Dick!" he cried, warningly, and would have gone to him, but forO'Hara's hand on his shoulder, dragging him back.
"Ah, now, be aisy," growled Miles. "Let the man say it!"
"Hold your tongue, O'Hara! Dick, wait one moment! I want to speak toyou!"
Richard never glanced at him.
"I am about to tell you something that should have been told--sevenyears ago--"
