and was almost as willing to endure fatigue on the occasion as though she had a sister-in-law's right in the house.
At about one o'clock her brother came. He had not yet seen Miss Dunstable since the offer had been made, and had now, with difficulty, been persuaded by his sister to show himself.
"What can be the use?" said he. "The game is up with me now;" meaning, poor, ruined ne'er-do-well, not only that that game with Miss Dunstable was up, but that the great game of his whole life was being brought to an uncomfortable termination.
"Nonsense," said his sister. "Do you mean to despair because a man like the Duke of Omnium wants his money? What has been good security for him will be good security for another;" and then Mrs. Harold Smith made herself more agreeable than ever to Miss Dunstable.
When Miss Dunstable was nearly worn out, but was still endeavoring to buoy herself up by a hope of the still expected great arrival—for she knew that the hero would show himself only at a very late hour if it were to be her good fortune that he showed himself at all—Mr. Sowerby walked up the stairs. He had schooled himself to go through this ordeal with all the cool effrontery which was at his command; but it was clearly to be seen that all his effrontery did not stand him in sufficient stead, and that the interview would have been embarrassing had it not been for the genuine good-humor of the lady.
"Here is my brother," said Mrs. Harold Smith, showing by the tremulousness of the whisper that she looked forward to the meeting with some amount of apprehension.
"How do you do, Mr. Sowerby?" said Miss Dunstable, walking almost into the doorway to welcome him. "Better late than never."
"I have only just got away from the House," said he, as he gave her his hand.
"Oh, I know well that you are sans reproche among senators, as Mr. Harold Smith is sans peur; eh! my dear?"
"I must confess that you have contrived to be uncommonly severe upon them both," said Mrs. Harold, laughing, "and, as regards poor Harold, most undeservedly so; Nathaniel is here, and may defend himself."
"And no one is better able to do so on all occasions. But, my dear Mr. Sowerby, I am dying of despair. Do you think he'll come?"
