Lingard gave a short, not very pleasant, laugh. He was very strong and Wantele looked delicate, languid--not the sort of man Lingard liked or was accustomed to meet. It was a pity Wantele had come back so soon. The three days alone with Richard Maule--and with Athena--had been very pleasant.... Dick went on, with his quick, light steps, into the Greek Room. He had again shouldered his burden, and it was pressing on him even more hardly than usual. If only Jane had been there! He now longed for her presence as a man longs for a lamp in dark subterranean places from which he knows no issue. With a shock of surprise he realised that the letters he had meant to show Athena were still in his hand, and that he had said nothing to her of their contents. He found Richard Maule sitting, as he always did sit in any but the hottest summer weather, crouched up in front of the fire; but when Dick came in Mr. Maule smiled as a man smiles at his own son, and the other saw that his cousin looked more vigorous, more alive, than usual. There was even a little colour in his white drawn cheeks. It was a long time since they had had any visitor, any man that is, staying at Rede Place; and Wantele now asked himself whether they were wise in leading so quiet a life. Richard was evidently enjoying General Lingard's visit. "He's a good fellow, Dick. He grows on one with acquaintance. I don't know but that Jane----" He stopped abruptly. The thought in his mind to which he had all but given utterance was that Jane Oglander, after all, had done well for herself. "He's not a bit spoilt. And yet there must be a lot of people running after him! Just look at these letters! We shall have to do something about them. Eh? Some of these people will have to be asked here to meet him, I suppose?" And Wantele, again with mingled annoyance and amusement, saw another pile of notes--far smaller, it was true, than his own--lying on the reading-desk which was always close to his cousin's hand. "The duke has written to me. They want to have him over there for a couple of nights--if we can spare him." Mr. Maule smiled, not unkindly. "It's evident we can't hope to keep the hero all to ourselves. It's lucky Jane Oglander isn't here! I thought it such a pity yesterday, but now I'm glad. We may be able to ask a few people over before she arrives--when she's here, Lingard won't want a crowd about. We might begin with the Sumners--you see they ask themselves, it's very good of them, for to-morrow!" he laughed outright, a thin, satirical and yet again not an unkindly laugh. Dick had never seen his cousin so animated, so interested, in a word, so amused, for years. He was rather surprised. "It'll be an awful bore," he said slowly, "and Richard--are you sure that you wish it? I think I could manage to put off most of these people--I mean without giving offence."