"Oh and Miss Theale I suppose?--as I seemed to hear outside, from below, Mrs. Stringham's unmistakeable voice."
"Yes, but Mrs. Stringham's alone. Milly's unwell," the girl explained, "and was compelled to disappoint us."
"Ah 'disappoint'--rather!" And, lingering a little, he kept his eyes on Densher. "She isn't really bad, I trust?"
Densher, after all he had heard, easily supposed him interested in Milly; but he could imagine him also interested in the young man with whom he had found Kate engaged and whom he yet considered without visible intelligence. That young man concluded in a moment that he was doing what he wanted, satisfying himself as to each. To this he was aided by Kate, who produced a prompt: "Oh dear no; I think not. I've just been reassuring Mr. Densher," she added--"who's as concerned as the rest of us. I've been calming his fears."
"Oh!" said Lord Mark again--and again it was just as good. That was for Densher, the latter could see, or think he saw. And then for the others: "_My_ fears would want calming. We must take great care of her. This way?"
She went with him a few steps, and while Densher, hanging about, gave them frank attention, presently paused again for some further colloquy. What passed between them their observer lost, but she was presently with him again, Lord Mark joining the rest. Densher was by this time quite ready for her. "It's _he_ who's your aunt's man?"
"That's what I mean too," Kate smiled. "There he is. Now you can judge."
"Why should I judge of him?" Densher asked. "I've nothing to do with him."
Kate seemed for a little to look at the difference. "To take the measure, do you mean, of my danger?"
He hesitated; then he said: "I'm thinking, I dare say, of Miss Theale's. How does your aunt reconcile his interest in her--?"
"With her own interest in you," Densher said while she reflected. "If that interest--Mrs. Lowder's--takes the form of Lord Mark, hasn't he rather to look out for the forms _he_ takes?"
Kate seemed interested in the question, but "Oh he takes them easily," she answered. "The beauty is that she doesn't trust him."
"Yes--Milly either. But I mean Aunt Maud. Not really."
Densher gave it his wonder. "Takes him to her heart and yet thinks he cheats?"