That is an absolute proof, is it not, Miss Grantly?"
"I have no fears. When I am with your mother I know I must be safe."
"I am not so sure of that," said Lord Lufton, laughing. "Mother, you
hardly know the worst of it yet. Who is here, do you think?"
"I know whom you mean; I have seen him," said Lady Lufton, very
quietly.
"We came across him just at the top of the stairs," said Griselda,
with more animation in her face than ever Lord Lufton had seen there
before.
"What; the duke?"
"Yes, the duke," said Lady Lufton. "I certainly should not have come
had I expected to be brought in contact with that man. But it was an
accident, and on such an occasion as this it could not be helped."
Lord Lufton at once perceived, by the tone of his mother's voice and
by the shades of her countenance that she had absolutely endured some
personal encounter with the duke, and also that she was by no means
so indignant at the occurrence as might have been expected. There she
was, still in Miss Dunstable's house, and expressing no anger as to
Miss Dunstable's conduct. Lord Lufton could hardly have been more
surprised had he seen the duke handing his mother down to supper; he
said, however, nothing further on the subject.
"Are you going to dance, Ludovic?" said Lady Lufton.
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