t would be a good deal worse for him if he missed me at his
elbow."

Sir Hugo did not think it needful to express his sympathy or even
assent, and perhaps Lush himself did not expect this sketch of his
motives to be taken as exact. But how can a man avoid himself as a
subject in conversation? And he must make some sort of decent toilet in
words, as in cloth and linen. Lush's listener was not severe: a member
of Parliament could allow for the necessities of verbal toilet; and the
dialogue went on without any change of mutual estimate.

However, Lush's easy prospect of indefinite procrastination was cut off
the next morning by Grandcourt's saluting him with the question--

"Are you making all the arrangements for our starting by the Paris
train?"

"I didn't know you meant to start," said Lush, not exactly taken by
surprise.

"You might have known," said Grandcourt, looking at the burned length
of his cigar, and speaking in that lowered tone which was usual with
him when he meant to express disgust and be peremptory. "Just see to
everything, will you? and mind no brute gets into the same carriage
with us. And leave my P. P. C. at the Mallingers."

In consequence they were at Paris the next day; but here Lush was
gratified by the proposal or command that he should go straight on to
Diplow and see that everything was right, while Grandcourt and the
valet remained behind; and it was not until several days later that
Lush received the telegram ordering the carriage to the Wanchester
station.

He had used the interim actively, not only in carrying out Grandcourt's
orders about the stud and household, but in learning all he could of
Gwendolen, and how things were going on at Offendene. What was the
probable effect that the news of the family misfortunes would have on
Grandcourt's fitful obstinacy he felt to be quite incalculable. So far
as the girl's poverty might be an argument that she would accept an
offer from him now in spite of any previous coyness, it might remove
that bitter objection to risk a repulse which Lush divined to be one of
Grandcourt's deterring motives; on the other hand, the certainty of
acceptance was just "the sort of thing" to make him lapse hither and
thither with no more apparent will than a moth. Lush had had his patron
under close observation for many years, and knew him perhaps better
than he knew any other subject; but to know Grandcourt was to doubt
what he would do in any particular case.