But Miss Vane? How did
you persuade her? I should have thought it impossible--absolutely
impossible."
"It ran as near impossibility as anything I can think of," said Sir
Tancred slowly and half dreamily. "But when you are in love with one
another, impossibilities fade--and I was masterful."
"You were that," said Lord Crosland with conviction.
"Poor Pamela! She was wretched at having to keep it from her father;
and I was sorry enough. But it had to be done; when you are eighteen,
and in love with one another, twenty-one seems ages away, don't you
know?"
"Of course."
"And once done, I don't believe--honestly, I don't believe that she
regretted it," said Sir Tancred; and his sombre eyes were shining.
"Heavens, how happy we were!--for four months. But as you'll learn, if
ever you have it, happiness is a deucedly expensive thing. I paid a
price for it--I _did_ pay a price." And he shivered. "At the end of
four months it came out, and it was all up."
"Then that was why Vane gave up coaching, sold Stanley House, and went
abroad," said Lord Crosland quickly. "We could none of us make it out."
"That was why. When it came out, my stepmother came on the scene.
She's about as remarkable a creature as you'll chance on between now
and the blue moon.
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