Another week and the whole world had changed. Margaret forgot Hannah and
Woodside Farm; sometimes she even forgot her longing to see her mother's
face again. She was blind to the people in the street, to everything
about her; her ambition to be an actress was lulled into pleasant
abeyance. A great happiness dawned in her heart--she did not try to put
a name to it; she did not even know it to be there; but the whole world
seemed to be full of it, and in the world there was just one person--Tom
Carringford. He came to her every day; in some sort of fashion he
constituted himself her guardian, though they preserved the happy
playfellow terms of boy and girl. They made all manner of innocent
expeditions together--to Battersea Park, where they rowed about in a
boat on the lake, and then drove back to dine in Margaret's little
sitting-room (a simple dinner that Mrs. Gilman arranged); to Richmond,
where they dined by an open window and drove back again before it was
dark, for Tom, with all his exuberance, had an occasional uneasy sense
of conventionality, though he said nothing about it to Margaret. "I
don't want to put her up to things; she is much too nice as she is," he
thought. They went to Chiswick and Kew; they talked about Pope at
Twickenham and walked along the tow-path; to Bushey and Hampton Court,
and had tea--by an open window again--at the old-fashioned inn, and
returned in the cool of the evening. One day they went to the Zoo, where
they laughed at the animals and fed the monkeys, and again had tea, and
ate so many cucumber sandwiches that they were ashamed to count
them--for it was a proof of their youth and unsophistication that they
generally made eating a part of their entertainment when they went out
together.
They lived only for each other, yet neither stopped to realize it, till
at the end of ten days Tom was roused to a sense of what was happening
by a letter from Mrs. Lakeman. Lena was very ill indeed, she said, and
had been waiting day after day for Tom; why hadn't he come? She had
heard from Sir George Stringer that the Vincent girl was in town--was
Tom aware of it? Probably she was too much taken up with the young
grocer from Guildford to have made a sign to him? This was an unwise
remark for so tactful a woman as Mrs. Lakeman, for it made Tom snort
indignantly, and it brought home to him the difficulties of Margaret's
position. Just as he was starting to meet her after the rehearsal that
afternoon a telegram arrived:
"Come immediately; Lena dangerously ill."
"Whew!" he said, "I must go by the eight-o'clock mail this evening." He
turned back to tell his man to pack a bag, take tickets, and meet him at
Euston, then drove to the theatre to find that the rehearsal was over
and every one gone. He went on as fast as possible to Great College
Street.
Margaret tried not to show her consternation, but her face betrayed her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Sir George told me you belonged to Lena--but that
isn't true, is it?"
"Of course not," he answered, staring at her, and wondering that she
could repeat anything so absurd; "but they have been very kind to me,
and I ought to go. Besides," he added, for Tom was always loyal, "I like
them both." He stopped a minute, and then he said, suddenly, "I wish you
would give up the theatre."
"I can't," but her tone was not so positive as it had been.
"You know," he began, slowly, "I have been thinking a great deal about
things lately, and wondering--"
"Yes."
"I'm not sure that I want to tell you--I'm rather afraid; suppose we go
and drive about a bit, and perhaps you shall know when we come in."
"It's such a rum thing," he thought, when she had gone to get her hat,
"that she should be living here alone; I feel as if I simply can't go
away and leave her. And if I say anything and she doesn't care for me,
it will be all up, and I shall find myself where poor old Stringer is. I
wonder if he's got over it a bit, and will come and look after her while
I am away in Scotland." Sir George had returned from Dieppe the day
before, but he had been shy of going near Margaret. Tom had seen him in
the street and thought it wise not to recognize him.
Margaret came in ready to go out. She wore a white dress and a black hat
that drooped a little on one side with the heaviness of its trimming.
There was a thin gold chain round her neck; he knew that the locket
attached to it contained her mother's hair. He looked at her for a
moment, at her blue eyes and proud lips, and her slim, tall figure, and
his reticence went to the winds.
"I can't bear to think I am going to-night," he said.
"And I can't," she answered, almost without being aware of it.
Then it seemed as if fate took hold of him and forced him to speak.
"Margaret," he said, and his tone brought the color to her face, "this
can't go on; it will have to come to an end somehow. You know we like
being together--it's glorious, isn't it? But--I have grown fond of
you--I can't help it. I wonder if you like me, if you care for me--it
would make everything so easy. I love you--more than anything in the
world, and you always seem happy enough with me. Do you think you could
stand it always. Cut the theatre, you know, and all that at once, and
marry me?"
"Oh, Tom!" she said, and without any rhyme or reason she burst into
tears and sat down on the little sofa, for it seemed as if the
floodgates of heaven had opened and poured its happiness into her
heart--just as it had seemed to her mother once in the best parlor at
Woodside Farm.
"My darling!" he said, "My little darling, what is the matter?" He knelt
down by her and pulled her hat-pin out. "Ghastly long thing," he said to
himself, even in that moment, "enough to kill one." He stuck it into the
back of the sofa, took off her hat and flung it--her best hat--to the
other end of the room, and gathered her into his arms and kissed her.
"Why, what are you crying for?" he asked. "I have not frightened you,
have I?" But his tone was triumphant, for since she made no resistance
he thought it must be all right, so he wisely went on kissing her, for
there is nothing like making the most of an opportunity--especially a
first one.
"Oh, you mustn't--you mustn't!" she said, afraid lest he should see the
shame and the joy in her eyes.
"You know this is what it means," he said, holding her closer. "Why, we
liked each other from the first, didn't we? Think what a spree we had
that morning when we came here with the flowers."
"I know," she whispered; "but I can't be married."
"Why not?"
"It seems so strange."
"You'll get used to it."
"And father is away."
"All the more reason."
"But we can't, till he comes back."
"Yes, we can; there are plenty of churches about. By-the-way, you don't
go to one, do you? You know, I never thought much of those unbeliefs of
yours."
"What do you mean?" she asked, struggling out of his arms and trying to
be collected and sensible, but finding it rather difficult.
"Well, you know, I think people often believe in things and don't know
it, or don't believe in anything and yet imagine they do. I can't see
that it matters myself, so long as one tries to do the right thing. If
all the roads lead to heaven, it doesn't matter what language one talks
on the journey, or whether one arrives in a monk's cowl or with a
feather in one's cap."
"You are talking nonsense," she said, looking at his face and thinking
what a dear one it was.
"Of course I am; we are much too happy to talk anything else.
By-the-way, I ought to beg your pardon for thinking you cared about
Garratt."
"I think you ought," she laughed.
"Though I don't know whether I'm any better than he is," he added,
modestly. "I say, you do care for me, don't you? You know you haven't
said it yet."
"I do care for you," she said.
"When did you begin?"
"I don't know; I don't know a bit, Tom dear, but what I have felt is
that--"
"Yes, go on."
"--That it was the greatest happiness in the world to be with you. Why,
I have simply laughed for joy at the sound of your step, and when you
are away I think of you all the time and every minute, and I don't even
care for the theatre now, or for being an actress."
"Good! good!" he cried, triumphantly. "Go on."
"And I am so happy now," she continued--"so stifled and overcome with
happiness that I feel as if I should die of it."
"Oh, well, don't do that--it's quite unnecessary, and it would be rather
a bore, you know. When shall we be married?"
"Oh, but--"
"There's nothing to wait for. I've got enough money, and the house in
Stratton Street is literally gaping for you to go and live in it. It
seems to me that the only thing to be done is to get a ring and a
license."
"But we can't be married till father knows; we can't, indeed."
"All right, dear; we'll send him a cable. We might send your mother a
telegram at the same time--what do you think?"
Margaret considered for a moment. "How soon, do you think, I could give
up the theatre?" she asked.
"Why, this very minute, of course. I'll write to Farley before I start,
and so shall you, and tell him all about it."
"But can he get any one in my place immediately?"
"Of course; probably a whole crowd are waiting round the stage door
ready to jump into it. There are too many people in the world who want
to work--too many who must work," he added, with a shade of seriousness;
"but what about your mother?"
"Why, if I really needn't go to the theatre any more, we won't
telegraph. I should so love to tell her. She liked you, you know--she
liked you so much. I'll go home to-morrow and tell her."
"Good! good! But what about Hannah; will she let you in?"
"I think she will, when she knows that I am not going to be an
actress--and about this."
"She might think you are doing worse."
"No, she won't."
"Well, that's settled; now we'll send the cable. Let's write it out
here, then we need only copy it out in the office. Where is your paper?"
he asked, impulsively, going to the writing-table. "Now then.
'_Carringford to Vincent. May I marry Margaret?_--_Tom._' Will that do?"
he asked.
"Splendidly," she laughed.
"I think you ought to send one on your own account."
"Yes, yes," she cried, joyfully; so a second cable was written.
"'_Vincent to Vincent. Please say yes._--_Margaret._' Will that do?" she
echoed.
"Splendid!" he echoed back. "What a glorious girl you are, Margey--your
mother called you Margey, you know. I think I should like to send one to
your mother, not telling her, of course, but as a sort of
preface--enough to make her guess something." He considered for a moment
and then he wrote. '_Tom Carringford sends his love to you._' "It shall
go as if it were a little message flying out of space." He stopped and
considered again. "I should like the Lakemans to know before I get
there. I have telegraphed already to say that I start to-night; but if
Lena's very ill, it looks rather cruel to burst upon them with news of
happiness."
"Must they be told at once?" Margaret asked. For some reason she dreaded
their knowing.
"Well, they've always been so kind to me." Almost mechanically he took
up his pen and wrote: '_Margaret and I want you to know that we are
engaged, but, of course, I start alone to-night. Kind love._--_Tom._'
Margaret kept her lips closed, for she thought of the Lakemans with a
dislike that was almost beyond her control, but she felt that her
father's memories, no less than the fact that they were Tom's friends,
demanded her silence. "Now then," he said, "that's all over. Where's
your hat?"
"Over there, on the floor," she answered, demurely, "upside down--my
best hat."
"Never mind, I'll give you a dozen new ones. Let's send off these things
and go for an hour's drive in the fastest hansom we can find--just to
calm us down a little. Then, suppose we come back and dine quietly here
at seven. Mrs. Gilman will manage it. I shall have to fly at half-past."
Tom reflected quickly that Great College Street was the best shelter for
a quiet _tete-a-tete_. "Come along." He took her hand and ran with her
down the narrow staircase. "I don't believe you know how fond I am of
you, but you'll find out in time," he said, stopping half-way.
"I do know," she answered, "and I love you--dreadfully."
He looked at her and kissed her, then a happy thought struck him.
"Mrs. Gilman," he called, boisterously, for there were no other people
in the house, "I want to tell you," he said, when that good woman
appeared, "that Miss Vincent and I are engaged."
"Oh, Mr. Carringford!"
"It's all right," he added, rather afraid she was going to cry. "We are
coming back presently, and you must give us some dinner at seven sharp.
I start for Scotland at eight--from Euston--so let it be quite punctual.
Now, Margey." He looked back and spoke to Mrs. Gilman again. "We'll stop
in Stratton Street," he said, "and tell my man to bring round a couple
of bottles of champagne. You must keep one and drink our healths. Keep
the other cool and send it up at dinner. Oh, that's all right. Great
fun, isn't it?"
"Tom," said Margaret, as they drove away; "what do you think Mrs.
Lakeman will say?"
"Why, she'll be delighted, of course, and so will Lena."