Whatever he did, wherever he went, his thoughts insisted on wandering
to Golfney Place. Although he longed to shower expensive gifts upon
Bridget, he durst not at present go beyond flowers, and it was only
after much persuasion that she consented to let him take her to the
Haymarket Theatre. Whilst he revelled in her society and his hope of
being permitted to enjoy it uninterruptedly for the remainder of his
days ran high, he dreaded to imagine what Lawrence would have to say on
the subject.

Colonel Faversham felt confident that his son would prove "nasty," and
even Carrissima could scarcely be expected to feel pleased by the
prospect of a step-mother only a few months older than herself. The
colonel found himself between two fires: longing on the one hand for
the time to come when he might discreetly ask Bridget to be his wife,
and fearing, on the other hand, the announcement of his good news!

It is true that the rose was not entirely free from thorns. In his
less cheerful moods he could not regard Mark Driver as other than a
possibly disturbing factor. Bridget made no secret of the frequency
and gratification of his former visits to Golfney Place, with the
result that Colonel Faversham wondered occasionally whether she looked
upon himself rather too paternally. He would then puff out his chest,
tug his moustache and make various other efforts to convince her that
he was still in the prime of life.

Nevertheless there hung persistently in the background the tragedy of
his years! He might upon occasion strike one as a comic figure, and of
course he saw no reason why he should not live to be a hundred. An
exceptional age, no doubt, but then he was an exceptional man, as