Page:The Outcry (London, Methuen & Co., 1911).djvu/228

214 to come here—if Lord Theign will be so good," he said, bethinking himself with a turn, "as to let him examine the Moretto." He faced again to the personage he mentioned, who, simply standing off and watching, in concentrated interest as well as detachment, this interview of his cool daughter and her still cooler guest, had plainly "elected," as it were, to give them rope to hang themselves. Staring very hard at Hugh he met his appeal, but in a silence clearly calculated; against which, however, the young man, bearing up, made such head as he could. He offered his next word, that is, equally to the two companions. "It's not at all impossible—for such curious effects have been!—that the Dedborough picture seen after the Verona will point a different moral from the Verona seen after the Dedborough."

"And so awfully long after—wasn't it?" Lady Grace asked.

"Awfully long after—it was years ago that Pappendick, being in this country for such purposes, was kindly admitted to your house when none of you were there, or at least visible."