Rose had told me
something about it, I believe--but I was so--foolishly disturbed--when I
came in--that really, I--well I must admit that even if I had seen you when
I first came in that would hardly have been the thought uppermost in my
mind at the time." He spoke in the same tone of kindly reproof toward
himself that he would have used if business worries had made him commit a
small but definite act of inhospitality toward one of his guests.
"And naturally--you will think me very ignorant indeed of my son's
affairs--and those of his friends--but while I had heard from Peter--of the
breaking of your engagement--you will pardon me, I hope, if I touch upon a
subject that must be so painful to you--I had no idea of the fact that you
were--intending to leave the country--and knowing Rose thought that with
her present position on 'Mode'--" he paused.
"It was very kind indeed of Mrs. Severance to offer to do what she could
for me," said Oliver non-committally. He thought he got the drift of the
story now--a sheer one enough but with Mr. Piper's present reaction toward
abasement and his obvious wish to believe whatever he could, it had
evidently sufficed.
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