But you must do
that. It is the one thing I am going to insist upon. That's understood,
is it?"
Scott smiled, his tired, gentle smile. "Oh, certainly, my dear chap.
Don't you worry yourself about that! It isn't of the first importance in
any case."
"It's got to be done," Sir Eustace insisted. "So keep it in mind!"
"I haven't been doing anything, you know," Scott protested mildly. "I
only came down yesterday."
"That may be. But you haven't been sleeping for some time. You needn't
trouble to deny it. I know the signs. What have you been doing at
Willowmount?"
It was a welcome change of subject, and Scott was not slow to avail
himself of it. They began to talk upon matters connected with the estate,
and the personal element passed completely out of the conversation.
When they reached the white house on the cliff they almost seemed to have
slipped into the old casual relations; but the younger brother was well
aware that this was not so. The change that had so amazed him was
apparent to him at every turn. The overbearing mastery to which he had
been accustomed all his life had turned in some miraculous fashion into
something that was oddly like deference. It was fully evident that
Eustace meant to keep his word and leave him in command.
Dinah met them in the rose-twined portico. There was a deep flush in her
cheeks; her eyes were very bright, resolutely unafraid.
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