All the same, Countess, I have had the honour of being your friend for some time, and I must say I have sometimes regretted that I brought him to your house." He reddened a little after he had spoken, fearing she might have misunderstood him.

"I wish," he added, to make things clearer, "that I could have brought you Claudius without Barker." Then he reddened still more, and wished he had said nothing.

Margaret raised her eyebrows.
Perhaps she could have wished as much herself, but she dropped the subject.
"When are you coming back from the West, Duke," she asked, busying herself in arranging some books on her table.

The hotel sitting-room was so deadly dreary to the eye that she was trying to make it look as if it had not been lately used as a place of burial.
"It may be two months before I am here again.

A--about the time Claudius comes over, I should think." "And when do you go ?" "Next week, I think." "I wish you were going to stay," said Margaret simply, "or Lady Victoria.