Molly pouted, laughed and complied.
Over the ale Jack related the whole escapade up to we moment when he had parted from Diana at Littledean. Then O’Hara took up the tale with a delightful chuckle.
“Sure, Molly, ye never saw anything to equal poor old Beauleigh when his daughter had told him Jack’s name! Faith, he didn’t know what to do at all he was so excited! And Miss Betty I thought would have the vapours from the way she flew from Di to Jack and back again, in such a state of mind as ye can’t imagine!”
Molly, who had listened with round eyes, drew a deep ecstatic breath. Then she bounced up, clapping her hands, and proclaimed that she was right after all!
“What will ye be meaning, alanna?” inquired O’Hara.
“Pray, sir, did I not say over and over again that if I could only induce Jack to stay with us everything would come right? Now, Miles, you know I did!”
“I remember ye said something like it once,” admitted her spouse.
“Once, indeed! I was always sure of it. And I did coax you to stay, did I not, Jack?” she appealed.
“You did,” he agreed. “You assured me that if I was churlish enough to leave. Miles would slowly sicken and pine away!”
She ignored her husband’s ribald appreciation of this.
“Then you see that ’tis all owing to me that———” She broke off to shake O’Hara, and the meeting ended in riotous hilarity.
When he went to change his clothes, Carstares found Jim already in his room awaiting him. He hailed him gaily, and sat down before his dressing-table.
“I require a very festive costume to-night, Jim. Rose velvet and cream brocade, I think.”
“Very good, your lordship,” was the prim reply.
Jack slewed round.
