“I shall go up this evening to Claridge’s, Véronique,” I assured her,
“by about the 5.15 train. We will wire to them after luncheon.”
She seemed comforted, but she added, in the abstract, that a rich
marriage was what was obviously Mademoiselle’s fate, and she felt
sure great happiness and many jewels would await Mademoiselle, if
Mademoiselle could be persuaded to make up her mind. Nothing is sacred
to one’s maid! She knew all about Mr. Carruthers, of course. Poor old
Véronique--I have a big, warm corner for her in my heart--sometimes she
treats me with the frigid respect one would pay to a queen, and at
others I am almost her _enfant_, so tender and motherly she is to me.
And she puts up with all my tempers and moods, and pets me like a baby
just when I am the worst of all.
Lord Robert had left me reluctantly when the luncheon gong sounded.
“Haven’t we been happy?” he said, taking it for granted I felt the same
as he did. This is a very engaging quality of his, and makes one feel
sympathetic, especially when he looks into one’s eyes with his sleepy
blue ones. He has lashes as long and curly as a gipsy’s baby.
Mr. Carruthers was alone in the dining-room when I got in; he was
looking out of the window, and turned round sharply as I came up the
room. I am sure he would like to have been killing flies on the panes
if he had been a boy! His eyes were steel.
“Where have you been all the time?” he asked, when he had shaken hands
and said good-morning.
“Up in my room packing,” I said simply. “Lord Robert was so kind, he
helped me--we have got everything done, and may I order the carriage
for the 5.15 train, please?”
“Certainly not--confound Lord Robert!” Mr. Carruthers said. “What
business is it of his? You are not to go. I won’t let you. Dear, silly,
little child--” his voice was quite moved. “You can’t possibly go out
into the world all alone. Evangeline, why won’t you marry me? I--do you
know, I believe--I shall love you----”
“I should have to be _perfectly sure_ that the person I married loved
me, Mr. Carruthers,” I said, demurely, “before I consented to finish up
my life like that.”
He had no time to answer, for Mr. Barton and Lord Robert came into the
room.
There seemed a gloom over luncheon. There were pauses, and Lord
Robert had a more pathetic expression than ever. His hands are a nice
shape--but so are Mr. Carruthers’, they both look very much like
gentlemen.
Before we had finished, a note was brought in to me. It was from Lady
Katherine Montgomerie. She was too sorry, she said, to hear of my
lonely position, and she was writing to ask if I would not come over
and spend a fortnight with them at Tryland Court.
It was not well worded, and I had never cared much for Lady Katherine,
but it was fairly kind, and fitted in perfectly with my plans.
She had probably heard of Mr. Carruthers’ arrival, and was scandalized
at my being alone in the house with him.
Both men had their eyes fixed on my face when I looked up, as I
finished reading the note.
“Lady Katherine Montgomerie writes to ask me to Tryland,” I said;
“so if you will excuse me I will answer it, and say I will come this
afternoon,”--and I got up.
Mr. Carruthers rose too, and followed me into the library. He
deliberately shut the door and came over to the writing-table where I
sat down.
“Well, if I let you go, will you tell her then that you are engaged to
me, and I am going to marry you as soon as possible.”
“No, indeed I won’t!” I said, decidedly.
“I am not going to marry you, or any one, Mr. Carruthers. What do
you think of me--! Fancy my consenting to come back here for ever,
and live with you--when I don’t know you a bit--and having to put up
with your--perhaps--kissing me, and, and--things of that sort! It is
perfectly dreadful to think of!”
He laughed as if in spite of himself. “But supposing I promised not to
kiss you----?”
“Even so,” I said, and I couldn’t help biting the end of my pen, “it
could happen that I might get a feeling I wanted to kiss some one
else--and there it is! Once you’re married, everything nice is wrong!”
“Evangeline! I won’t let you go--out of my life--you strange little
witch, you have upset me, disturbed me, I can settle to nothing. I seem
to want you so very much.”
“Pouff!” I said, and I pouted at him.
“You have everything in your life to fill it--position, riches,
friends--you don’t want a green-eyed adventuress.”
I bent down and wrote steadily to Lady Katherine. I would be there
about 6 o’clock, I said, and thanked her in my best style.
“If I let you go, it is only for the time,” Mr. Carruthers said, as I
signed my name. “I _intend_ you to marry me--do you hear!”
“Again I say _qui vivra verra_!” I laughed, and rose with the note in
my hand.
Lord Robert looked almost ready to cry when I told him I was off in the
afternoon.
“I shall see you again,” he said. “Lady Katherine is a relation of my
aunt’s husband, Lord Merrenden. I don’t know her myself, though.”
I do not believe him--how can he see me again--young men do talk a lot
of nonsense.
“I shall come over on Wednesday to see how you are getting on,” Mr.
Carruthers said. “Please do be in.”