Still, there were memories, memories that rose up out of the past, the memory of a face, of eager, ardent, worshipping eyes, of a lame, halting speech, words disjointed and broken, eager, pleading, yet hopeless words. "I love you, oh! I love you; don’t turn from me. I know I am not worthy, Kathleen, but I love you so!"
She laughed suddenly, she felt ashamed and annoyed to realise that there were tears on her lashes and on her cheeks.
"Folly!" she said aloud. "Folly, and it’s all dead and gone ten, years ago, ten years—" she laughed, "a lifetime! He’s married to someone else; if he’s sensible, he will have married someone with money, for he had none, poor fellow!"
Meanwhile at the Club, where the better part of his day and practically the whole of his night was spent, Lord Gowerhurst had looked up a telephone number and was putting a call through.
"Homewood—yes, Sir Josiah Homewood, is he in? Yes, I do, Gowerhurst—Lord Gowerhurst—You’ll put him through—then hurry!"
He waited and then came a voice. It was evidently the voice of a stout man in a state of anxiety.
Lord Gowerhurst detected the anxiety, purposely he delayed, he told himself the man was anxious—naturally—"Let him be anxious, let him remain on tenter hooks for a time!" It would do him no harm.
"Yes, yes, Homewood, I’m speaking to Lord Gowerhurst, aren’t I?"
"Yes—ah, Homewood, is that you? Well, about that little matter we were discussing yesterday—" his lordship drawled, "the proposition that you placed before me with such engaging frankness, I should not be surprised if you remember——"
"Yea, my Lord, I’ve not forgotten! Not me!" The voice came chokingly, uncertain, but above all things eager.
"I have discussed it with the person—most concerned!"
"My dear Homewood, no names on the telephone, no names I beg!"
"No, no, of course not, my mistake, my Lord. I wouldn’t think of mentioning any names, not for a moment, my Lord. Still what does she—the person—the party, I mean, my Lord, what does she—er—her——"
"I quite understand the—as you say—party—is inclined to give very favourable consideration to the matter. In fact, I may say, my dear Homewood, that the matter is practically settled on the basis you suggested."
Sir Josiah Homewood in his luxurious City office, closed his eyes as in ecstasy! He clung to the telephone receiver and an expression of rapt and perfect contentment stole over his features.