His Lordship's Leopard Part 35

After formal salutations had been exchanged, the younger man, feeling that a disagreeable business was the better over, lost no time in coming to the point.

"I don't know that there's anything to be said about the past, father,"

he began.

"I should think there was a great deal to be said," returned his Lords.h.i.+p brusquely. "But this is perhaps not the best time to say it.

I've been told a very astonis.h.i.+ng story by Miss Arminster."

"About the Black Maria and--the Spanish plot?"

"About your wretched novel, sir!"

"Ah, yes. Well, I corroborate it all, word for word. Miss Arminster told me about it this morning."

"You've seen her, then?"

"Yes. We had a chat concerning a number of things. But, as you suggest, we might reserve the discussion of our joint American experiences till another occasion, so I won't mention them beyond apologising to you for having blacked your eye under the bar; though of course I could hardly have supposed that your ecclesiastical duties would have placed you in just that position."

"Say, rather, the search for an unregenerate son," suggested the Bishop, with a twinkle in his eye which showed him to be in better humour.

"Well, anyway, you gave as good as you got," said Cecil. "My ribs were sore for a week afterwards."

"Ah," replied his Lords.h.i.+p. "I thought I must have landed you one. I haven't quite forgotten the athletics of my college days."

"Then we're quits," returned Cecil. "But it was more than good of you to come out there and look for me. A father who could do all that deserves a somewhat better son than I've been in the past; and in the future--"

"Don't say it, Cecil. I know it." And the Bishop gripped his hand in a way that caused the mental and moral atmosphere to clear instantly.

"And now," said his son, "I want to talk about Miss Arminster."

"It's the subject nearest my heart," replied his father.

"I asked her to marry me at Montreal," Cecil remarked simply.

"So I inferred from what she said on the yacht," said his Lords.h.i.+p.

"And you proposed to her yesterday."

"Did she tell you?"

"Yes."

"Well?"

"Well, the fact is she doesn't want to marry either of us."

The Bishop nodded his head despondently.

"But," continued the younger man, "she contemplates marrying some one else."

"Ah," said his Lords.h.i.+p, "I'm heartily glad she proposes to _marry_--after yesterday."

"Quite so, and she means to ask you to perform the ceremony."

"Isn't that rather--"

"Rubbing it in?" suggested Cecil. "So it seemed to me."

"Who is the--er--prospective bride-groom?"

"Spotts."

"He seems a good fellow."

"Yes, but--will you forgive me if I speak frankly? There can't be any feeling of jealousy between us; we've both been worsted."

"What do you wish to say?"

"That I'm afraid this marriage must not be permitted. You see, Miss Arminster isn't quite what she seems."

"If you're going to say anything against that young lady--!" began his Lords.h.i.+p angrily.

"You forget," said his son, "I wanted to marry her."

His father remembered; and remembering, said:

"Proceed."

"Well, I found out, for myself I mean, that Miss Arminster had been married a number of times."

"A number of times!"

"Half a dozen at least. Perhaps more."

"Impossible!"

"She admitted as much to me."

"But surely--!"

"As far as I know, none of her husbands has died."

"In America," began the Bishop, "the divorce laws are lax, and perhaps--"

"Oh, no, I'm sure she hasn't been divorced. I don't think she'd approve of it."

"But then--it means--"

"Yes, that's just the point. And so another marriage with this Mr.