It struck me that poor Mr. Garland was finding it hard work
to propitiate the lady whom Raffles had deemed unworthy of mention
overnight. But I own I was in no hurry to take over the invidious task.
To me it need prove nothing more; to him, anguish; but I could not help
feeling that even as matters stood I was quite sufficiently embroiled in
these people's affairs. Their name had been little more than a name to me
until the last few hours. Only yesterday I might have hesitated to nod to
Teddy Garland at the club, so seldom had we met. Yet here was I helping
Raffles to keep the worst about the son from the father's knowledge, and
on the point of helping that father to keep what might easily prove worse
still from his daughter-in-law to be. And all the time there was the
worst of all to be hidden from everybody concerning Raffles and me!
Meanwhile I explored a system of flower-houses and vineries that ran out
from the conservatory in a continuous chain--each link with its own
temperature and its individual scent--and not a pane but rattled and
streamed beneath the timely torrent. It was in a fernery where a playing
fountain added its tuneful drop to the noisy deluge that the voices of
the drawing-room sounded suddenly at my elbow, and I was introduced to
Miss Belsize before I could recover from my surprise. My foolish face
must have made her smile in spite of herself, for I did not see quite the
same smile again all day; but it made me her admirer on the spot, and I
really think she warmed to me for amusing her even for a moment.
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