“I do not go in for budding geniuses,” she continued, “I prefer to
wait until they have arrived--no matter their origin, then they have
acquired a certain outside behaviour on the way up, and it does not
_froissé_ one so. Merrenden is a great judge of human nature, and
variety entertains him. Left to myself I fear I should be quite
contented with less gifted people who were simply of one’s own world.”
In all her talk one can see her thought and consideration for Lord
Merrenden and his wishes and tastes.
“I always feel it is so cruel for him our having no children,” she
said; “the Earldom becomes extinct, so I must make him as happy as I
can.”
What a dear and just woman!
At last we spoke of Robert, and she told me stories of his boyhood,
amusing Eton scrapes, and later feats. And how brave and splendid he
had been in the war; and how the people all adored him at Torquilstone;
and of his popularity and influence with them. “You must make him go
into Parliament,” she said.
Then Robert came into the room. Oh! his darling face spoke, there was
no need for words! The Duke, one could see, had been obdurate.
“Well?” said Lady Merrenden.
Robert came straight over to me, and took my face in his two hands:
“Darling,” he said, “before everything I want you to know I love you
better than anything else in the world, and nothing will make any
difference,” and he kissed me deliberately before his aunt. His voice
was so moved--and we all felt a slight lump in our throats, I know;
then he stood in front of us, but he held my hand.
“Torquilstone was horrid, I can see,” said Lady Merrenden. “What did
he say, Robert--tell us everything? Evangeline would wish it too, I am
sure, as well as I.”
Robert looked very pale and stern, one can see how firm his jaw is in
reality, and how steady his dear blue eyes.
“I told him I loved Evangeline, whom I understood he had met yesterday,
and that I intended to marry her----”
“And he said?” asked Lady Merrenden, breathless.