"Then you don't mean now?"
He broke into a quick smile. "Will you come now?--go with us for an
hour?"
Maisie considered. "She wouldn't have me even now." She could see that
he had his idea, but that her tone impressed him. That disappointed her
a little, though in an instant he rang out again.
"She will if I ask her," he repeated. "I'll ask her this minute."
Maisie, turning at this, looked away to where her mother and her
stepfather had stopped. At first, among the trees, nobody was visible;
but the next moment she exclaimed with expression: "It's over--here he
comes!"
The Captain watched the approach of her ladyship's husband, who lounged
composedly over the grass, making to Maisie with his closed fingers a
little movement in the air. "I've no desire to avoid him."
"Well, you mustn't see him," said Maisie.
"Oh he's in no hurry himself!" Sir Claude had stopped to light another
cigarette.
She was vague as to the way it was proper he should feel; but she had a
sense that the Captain's remark was rather a free reflexion on it. "Oh
he doesn't care!" she replied.
"Doesn't care for what?"
"Doesn't care who you are. He told me so. Go and ask mamma," she added.
"If you can come with us? Very good. You really want me not to wait for
him?"
"PLEASE don't." But Sir Claude was not yet near, and the Captain had
with his left hand taken hold of her right, which he familiarly,
sociably swung a little. "Only first," she continued, "tell me this. Are
you going to LIVE with mamma?"
The immemorial note of mirth broke out at her seriousness. "One of these
days."
She wondered, wholly unperturbed by his laughter. "Then where will Sir
Claude be?"
"He'll have left her of course."
"Does he really intend to do that?"
"You've every opportunity to ask him."