Before he could dismount to knock at the door, a tall man walked up to
him out of the darkness.
"Is that Miles?" the tall man asked.
The groom knew the voice. Iris was even better acquainted with it. She,
too, recognised Lord Harry.
X
There was the Irish lord at the very time when Iris was most patiently
resigned never to see him more, never to think of him as her husband
again--reminding her of the first days of their love, and of their
mutual confession of it! Fear of herself kept her behind the curtain;
while interest in Lord Harry detained her at the window in hiding.
"All well at Rathco?" he asked--mentioning the name of the house in
which Arthur was one of the guests.
"Yes, my lord. Mr. Mountjoy leaves us to-morrow."
"Does he mean to return to the farm?"
"Sorry I am to say it; he does mean that."
"Has he fixed any time, Miles, for starting on his journey?"
Miles instituted a search through his pockets, and accompanied it by an
explanation. Yes, indeed, Master Arthur had fixed a time; he had
written a note to say so to Mistress Lewson, the housekeeper; he had
said, "Drop the note at the farm, on your way to the village." And what
might Miles want at the village, in the dark? Medicine, in a hurry, for
one of his master's horses that was sick and sinking. And, speaking of
that, here, thank God, was the note!
Iris, listening and watching alternately, saw to her surprise the note
intended for Mrs. Lewson handed to Lord Harry. "Am I expected," he
asked jocosely, "to read writing without a light?" Miles produced a
small lantern which was strapped to his groom's belt. "There's parts of
the road not over safe in the dark," he said as he raised the shade
which guarded the light. The wild lord coolly opened the letter, and
read the few careless words which it contained. "To Mrs. Lewson:--Dear
old girl, expect me back to-morrow to dinner at three o'clock. Yours,
ARTHUR."
There was a pause.
"Are there any strangers at Rathco?" Lord Harry asked.
"Two new men," Miles replied, "at work in the grounds."
There was another pause. "How can I protect him?" the young lord said,
partly to himself, partly to Miles. He suspected the two new
men---spies probably who knew of Arthur's proposed journey home, and
who had already reported to their employers the hour at which he would
set out.