"I daresay her life is dismal enough," he thought, "with such a brother as Poker Vandeleur--and a father to match."
While he sat in silent embarrassment, and while Dopsy slowly dried her tears with a gaudy little coloured handkerchief, taken from a smart little breast-pocket in the tailor-gown, Mr. Tregonell sauntered across the room to the window where they sat--a Tudor window, with a deep embrasure.
"What are you two talking about in the dark?" he asked, as Dopsy confusedly shuffled the handkerchief back into the breast-pocket. "Something very sentimental, I should think, from the look of you. Poetry, I suppose."
Dopsy said not a word. She believed that Leonard meant well by her--that, if his influence could bring Mr. Hamleigh's nose to the grindstone, to the grindstone that nose would be brought. So she looked up at her brother's friend with a watery smile, and remained mute.
"We were talking about London and the theatres," answered Angus. "Not a very sentimental topic;" and then he got up and walked away with his teacup, to the table near which Christabel was sitting, in the flickering firelight, and seated himself by her side, and began to talk to her about a box of books that had arrived from London that day--books that were familiar to him and new to her. Leonard looked after him with a scowl, safe in the shadow; while Dopsy, feeling that she had made a fool of herself, lapsed again into tears.
"I am afraid he is behaving very badly to you," said Leonard.
"Oh, no, no. But he has such strange ways. He blows hot and cold."
"In plain words, he's a heartless flirt," answered Leonard, impatiently. "He has been fooled by a pack of women--pretends to be dying of consumption--gives himself no end of airs. He has flirted outrageously with you. Has he proposed?"
"Some one ought to bring him to the scratch. Your brother must tackle him."
"Don't you think if--if--Jack were to say anything--were just to hint that I was being made very unhappy--that such marked attentions before all the world put me in a false position--don't you think it might do harm?"
"Quite the contrary. It would do good. No man ought to trifle with a girl's feelings in that way. No man shall be allowed to do it in my house. If Jack won't speak to him, I will."