Lady Dargan had been abroad, and was just returned.
They talked a little on unimportant things, and presently Lady Dargan said: "Pardon my asking, but will you tell me why you wore a red ribbon in your button-hole the first night you came ?" He smiled, and then looked at her a little curiously.

"My luggage had not come, and I wore an old suit of my father's." Lady Dargan sighed deeply.
"The last night he was in England he wore that coat at dinner," she murmured.
"Pardon me, Lady Dargan--you put that ribbon there ?" "Yes." Her eyes were on him with a candid interest and regard.
"I suppose," he went on, "that his going was abrupt to you ?" "Very--very!" she answered.
She longed to ask if his father ever mentioned her name, but she dared not.

Besides, as she said to herself, to what good now?
But she asked him to tell her something about his father.

He did so quietly, picking out main incidents, and setting them forth, as he had the ability, with quiet dramatic strength.

He had just finished when Delia Gasgoyne came up with Lord Dargan.
Presently Lord Dargan asked Gaston if he would bring Lady Dargan to the other end of the room, where Miss Gasgoyne was to join her mother.