"What the devil does this mean, Hilliard?"
If never before, the indolent man was now thoroughly aroused. He had an
open letter in his hand. Hilliard, standing before him in a little
office that smelt of ledgers and gum, and many other commercial things,
knew that the letter must be from Eve, and savagely hoped that it was
dated London.
"This is from Miss Madeley, and it's all about you. Why couldn't you
speak the other day?"
"What does she say about me?"
"That she has known you for a long time; that you saw a great deal of
each other in London; that she has led you on with a hope of marrying
her, though she never really meant it; in short, that she has used you
very ill, and feels obliged now to make a clean breast of it."
The listener fixed his eye upon a copying-press, but without seeing it.
A grim smile began to contort his lips.
"Where does she write from?"
"From her ordinary address--why not? I think this is rather too bad of
you. Why didn't you speak, instead of writhing about and sputtering?
That kind of thing is all very well--sense of honour and all that--but
it meant that I was being taken in. Between friends--hang it! Of course
I have done with her. I shall write at once. It's amazing; it took away
my breath. No doubt, though she doesn't say it, it was from you that
she came to know of me. She began with a lie. And who the devil could
have thought it! Her face--her way of talking! This will cut me up
awfully. Of course, I'm sorry for you, too, but it was your plain duty
to let me know what sort of a woman I had got hold of. Nay, it's she
that has got hold of me, confound her! I don't feel myself! I'm
thoroughly knocked over!"
Hilliard began humming an air. He crossed the room and sat down.
"Have you seen her since that Saturday?"
"No; she has made excuses, and I guessed something was wrong. What has
been going on? _You_ have seen her?"
"Of course."
Narramore glared.
"It's devilish underhand behaviour! Look here, old fellow, we're nut
going to quarrel. No woman is worth a quarrel between two old friends.
But just speak out--can't you? What did you mean by keeping it from me?"
"It meant that I had nothing to say," Hilliard replied, through his
moustache.
"You kept silence out of spite, then? You said to yourself, 'Let him
marry her and find out afterwards what she really is!'"
"Nothing of the kind." He looked up frankly. "I saw no reason for
speaking. She accuses herself without a shadow of reason; it's mere
hysterical conscientiousness. We have known each other for half a year
or so, and I have made love to her, but I never had the least
encouragement. I knew all along she didn't care for me. How is she to
blame? A girl is under no obligation to speak of all the men who have
wanted to marry her, provided she has done nothing to be ashamed of.
There's just one bit of insincerity. It's true she knew of you from me.
But she looked you up because she despaired of finding employment; she
was at an end of her money, didn't know what to do. I have heard this
since I saw you last. It wasn't quite straightforward, but one can
forgive it in a girl hard driven by necessity."
Narramore was listening with eagerness, his lips parted, and a growing
hope in his eyes.
"There never was anything serious between you?"
"On her side, never for a moment. I pursued and pestered her, that was
all."
"Do you mind telling me who the girl was that I saw you with at Dudley?"
"A friend of Miss Madeley's, over here from London on a holiday. I have
tried to make use of her--to get her influence on my side----"
Narramore sprang from the corner of the table on which he had been
sitting.
"Why couldn't she hold her tongue! That's just like a woman, to keep a
thing quiet when she ought to speak of it, and bring it out when she
had far better say nothing. I feel as if I had treated you badly,
Hilliard. And the way you take it--I'd rather you eased your mind by
swearing at me."
"I could swear hard enough. I could grip you by the throat and jump on
you----"
"No, I'm hanged if you could!" He forced a laugh. "And I shouldn't
advise you to try. Here, give me your hand instead." He seized it.
"We're going to talk this over like two reasonable beings. Does this
girl know her own mind? It seems to me from this letter that she wants
to get rid of me."
"You must find out whether she does or not."
"Do you _think_ she does?"
"I refuse to think about it at all."
"You mean she isn't worth troubling about? Tell the truth, and be
hanged to you! Is she the kind of a girl a man may marry?"
"For all I know."
"Do you suspect her?" Narramore urged fiercely.
"She'll marry a rich man rather than a poor one--that's the worst I
think of her."
"What woman won't?"
When question and answer had revolved about this point for another
quarter of an hour, Hilliard brought the dialogue to an end. He was
clay-colour, and perspiration stood on his forehead.
"You must make her out without any more help from me. I tell you the
letter is all nonsense, and I can say no more."
He moved towards the exit.
"One thing I must know, Hilliard--Are you going to see her again?"
"Never--if I can help it."
"Can we be friends still?"
"If you never mention her name to me."
Again they shook hands, eyes crossing in a smile of shamed hostility.
And the parting was for more than a twelvemonth.
Late in August, when Hilliard was thinking of a week's rest in the
country, after a spell of harder and more successful work than he had
ever previously known, he received a letter from Patty Ringrose.
"Dear Mr. Hilliard," wrote the girl, "I have just heard from Eve that
she is to be married to Mr. Narramore in a week's time. She says you
don't know about it; but I think you _ought_ to know. I haven't been
able to make anything of her two last letters, but she has written
plainly at last. Perhaps she means me to tell you. Will you let me have
a line? I should like to know whether you care much, and I do so hope
you don't! I felt sure it would come to this, and if you'll believe me,
it's just as well. I haven't answered her letter, and I don't know
whether I shall. I might say disagreeable things. Everything is the
same with me and always will be, I suppose." In conclusion, she was his
sincerely. A postscript remarked: "They tell me I play better. I've
been practising a great deal, just to kill the time."
"Dear Miss Ringrose," he responded, "I am very glad to know that Eve is
to be comfortably settled for life. By all means answer her letter, and
by all means keep from saying disagreeable things. It is never wise to
quarrel with prosperous friends, and why should you? With every good
wish----" he remained sincerely hers.