Lord Loveland Discovers America

								

pleasant smile. "What I meant was, don't go advertising the fact that
you've got Henry VanderPot's cabin because he's not well enough to sail.
All you'll have to do is to swagger about as if you'd meant to be a
passenger on the Mauretania from the beginning of things."
Loveland was prepared to do any amount of swaggering, though he did not
say so to Jim, or indeed acknowledge it to himself. He replied that, if
this were the only condition, he would accept the ticket, and instruct
Foxham (as he would not have time himself) to try and sell the passage
which he had paid for on the Baltic.
"Fox'll have several days to do it in, and I'll tell him if he brings it
off, there's ten per cent for himself," said Val. "Meanwhile I'll be
enjoying myself on the Mauretania."
"Meanwhile you'll be enjoying yourself on the Mauretania," echoed Jim.
"I suppose there are sure to be a lot of millionaires on board?"
suggested Val.
"Sure to be, even at this time of year."
"With pretty daughters?" Loveland's tone and air in making this addition
were so conceited that Jim would have wanted to kick him if he had not
looked so ridiculously like Jim's own adored and beautiful Betty.
Besides, the scar showed white on the brown. This had been a brave boy.
Jim was inclined to believe that he was worth reforming.
"With pretty daughters," Harborough repeated, his tone quiet though his
eyes showed a danger signal. "However, be prudent. Don't make up your
mind too soon. The best fish aren't always caught in the deep sea. One
waits to have a look round the markets."
Loveland grinned. "Thank you for the tip. I won't forget."
"Not likely that you'll hold yourself too cheap, eh?" Jim could not
resist that one dig, in spite of the scar, and Betty's laugh in the blue
eyes between their black fringes.
But Val did not see the joke, as he assuredly would if it had been aimed
at anybody else. Jim having married into the family, ought to uphold the
family pride, and Loveland doubted not that he did.
"Rather not," he returned patronizingly. "You needn't be afraid, my dear
chap. Very kind of you to think of me for this cabin. And though it's a
bit short notice, that can't be helped. Foxham will get me off somehow."
"You'll hardly have time to let people know your change of plan," said
Jim. "But of course if you don't mind a little expense you can Marconi
to Lady Loveland from the ship."
"Of course," assented Lady Loveland's son, who would not have thought of
the attention had it not been suggested to him. "But it will hardly be
necessary."
"Perhaps not," said Jim.

CHAPTER FOUR
Lord Loveland Makes a Start

Loveland's only experience of sea life, except for a little yachting,
had been in going out to, and returning from, South Africa; but he had
learned to take care of himself on shipboard, and though his name was
not on the passenger list of the Mauretania, his deck chair was soon