A message came up to Katherine next morning--the morning of Christmas
Day--from Lady Garribardine to say that she could walk across the park
to church with the two elder children and that she was to take them into
the front pew that faced the large carved family one behind the choir at
right angles.
And from this well-placed outlook Miss Bush later on observed the house
party enter by a door in the chancel. They filled the whole long seat
and overflowed into the pew where she and the children sat, and it
happened that Gerard Strobridge was next her and knelt to say his
prayers.
Propinquity is a very curious thing, and when all possibility of
conversation is nil, propinquity has sometimes been known to exert a
very powerful influence. Gerard Strobridge was conscious with every
throb of his pulse of the nearness of Katherine Bush; there was a
magnetic disturbing emanation he felt coming from her, which excited him
unaccountably. He kept glancing at her regular profile from time to
time. Her very pale skin and large red mouth attracted him immensely.
She never once looked at him, and maintained an air of absolute
unconsciousness.
"What is she thinking about, I wonder?" he mused. "I have never seen a
face more sphinxlike; she could be good or devilishly bad, she could
love passionately and hate coldly, she could be cruel as the grave and
hard as adamant. She is a woman that a man were wiser not to know too
well for his own safety."
But reflections of this sort never yet made son of Adam avoid the
object of them, so when they came out and Katherine was waiting for
instructions from her employer as to the disposal of the children, Mr.
Strobridge came up to her.
"A happy Christmas, Miss Bush," he said. "Are you going to walk back
through the Park? Here, Teddy, I will come with you."
"We are going in the motor with Grandmamma," both children cried at
once as Katherine returned his greeting, and they ran off to Lady
Garribardine. So Katherine started to walk on alone, while the rest of
the party lingered about the porch and made up their minds as to whether
or no they would drive.
She had gone some way and was on a path by a copse in the Park, when Mr.
Strobridge caught her up.
"Why did you race ahead, Miss Bush?" he asked. "Did you not want any
companion in your solitude?"
"I never thought about it," she returned quite simply.
"I did--I wanted to walk with you, I have been watching you all the time
in church. I believe that you were in dreamland again; now will be the
very moment to finish our discussion upon it."
"I don't think we had begun it."
"Well, we will."
"How are we to start?"
"You are going to tell me where yours is--in the heart or in the head?"
"Such a conversation would be altogether unprofitable." There was
mischief lurking in the corner of her eye and trembling in the curves of
her full mouth.
"I must judge of that."
"How so? Do I not count?"
"Enormously--that is why I want to hear of your dreamland."
"It is a place where only I can go."
"How unsociable--but you look disobliging."
"I am."
"Very well, I give up the task of trying to make you tell me about it.
By the way, I have not had the chance to thank you for so kindly
finishing those papers for that confounded charity. My aunt said they
were in perfect order."
"I am glad of that."
He raised his head and looked away in front of them down into a dell and
so up again to the house.
"Isn't this a beautiful view? I always think of 'the stately homes of
England' when I walk back from church."
Katherine's eyes followed his to the gabled, irregular red brick house,
with its wreath of blue smoke going straight up into the winter sky.
"I have never seen one before," she told him. "You can imagine how
wonderful this appears to me after the place where I have lived. I had
only seen Hampton Court, but somehow all the people there and its being
a museum did not make it have the impression of a house that is
inhabited."
"This pleases you, does it?"
"Naturally. I love everything about it, the space, and people not being
allowed in. It is Her Ladyship's own--she can shut the gates if she
wants to and have it all to herself--that must be good."
"What a strange girl! You would not like to share anything, then? I have
already remarked this deplorably selfish instinct in you, in reference
to your dreamland--and you would keep poor devils out of your park,
too, if you could!"
"Generally--yes."
"Well, I want to be the exception to this exclusiveness. If I come up
one afternoon to the old schoolroom, for instance, and ask you to talk
to me, will you turn me out?"
"It depends what you want me to talk to you about. If it is upon a
subject only to please you--yes--if to please me then I may let you stay
for a little."
"What subjects would please you?"
"I would like to hear all about the pictures in the house, for
instance--you see, before I came to Lady Garribardine I had never
conversed with anyone educated in art. So I have only a very little book
knowledge to go upon."
"We will talk about art then; the house is full of interesting things,
part of it is so old."
For the rest of the way he did his best to entertain his aunt's
insignificant secretary, and they both knew that the walk had been very
charming. When they got into the shrubbery, Katherine took the path
which led to the small rose-garden courtyard, on which the schoolroom
staircase opened.
"Of course, I had forgotten you have a front door all to yourself."
"Yes--our roads divide here. Good morning, Mr. Strobridge."
"Are you going to shake hands with me?"
"No, it is quite unnecessary."
"_Au revoir_, then. To-night I shall dance with you. I have not danced
for ten years."
"Then probably you will not do it well. Recollect I come from Bindon's
Green where we learn the very newest steps. I never have put up with a
bad partner."
"I can't 'turkey trot,' if that is what you mean."
"Then I am afraid you are too old and too old-fashioned for my taste."
And smiling demurely, she walked off to the quaint, wrought-iron gate
which opened into the rose garden.
Gerard Strobridge laughed as he went on his way. Why was he attracted to
this girl? He was a person of the highest fastidiousness, and had never
had a _liaison_ with any woman beneath him in class in his life, even in
his Oxford days. It was against his idea of the fitness of things. To
flirt with his aunt's secretary! But the creature was so sensible, and
so intelligent it made matters appear in a different light--there surely
could not be much harm in discussing pictures and sculpture with her, or
a poet or two! But at this stage he did put some restraint upon himself,
and made no further attempts to see her until she came down to pour out
the tea again. He bravely made love to Läo, and exercised as much skill
to keep matters from approaching a climax as he was wont to use in
bringing on that happy occurrence. It caused him a cynical amusement.
Katherine had on the dress which rather resembled his wife's, and looked
almost as distinguished, and a good deal more healthy and attractive.
Her demeanour was so admirable, too; she had none of either that
overhumble obsequiousness or touchy assertion, which so often
distinguished these quasi-gentlefolk, he thought. She might have been a
Lady Clara Vere de Vere in her quiet dignity and utter freedom from all
self-consciousness.
It was evident that she was not thinking of herself at all, or wondering
whether or no she was being noticed or slighted, or properly or
improperly treated. She was just gravely pouring out the tea and
attending to people's wants as quietly sure of herself as his aunt would
have been. Indeed, it almost seemed to Gerard watching her that she
stood out, if he could have selected one from the whole party, as the
most perfect specimen of womanhood.
Was it her supreme will--her force of character which had overcome all
class traditions? He remembered what she had said about no ordinary
Radical ever being able to be a foreign minister. How she must have
thought out matters! Her brain was that of a woman in a thousand.
The Christmas tea grew very merry, and old Colonel Hawthorne, friend of
the family for countless years, found it his pleasant duty to be genial
with the good-looking secretary. Gerard continued to watch; she answered
the pleasantries with so much wit, and never the least presumption.
After a while he drifted up to his aunt's own sitting-room for a quarter
of an hour before dressing time--Läo had been cajoled into thinking all
was well between them, and had gone off to make herself especially
beautiful for dinner.
She had been through one or two disquieting moments. Gerard had appeared
all that an eager lover should be, and she felt she must have been
stupid in some way to have given him the impression that she was serious
in her protestation of "not yet." She had no rival--that was plain to be
seen. He never spoke to Betty d'Estaire--who was the only other young
woman of the party. Perhaps it was because of Beatrice! Gerard was
such a perfect gentleman, perhaps in some corner of a foolishly
overpunctilious heart he was deterred by--Beatrice! But fortunately
Beatrice was leaving the day after Boxing Day.
In any case her usual method of rigid circumspection--until the very
last moment--had not been quite successful with this would-be lover; he
had been deceived by it and slightly rebuffed. It was merciful as far as
her own emotions were concerned, but she knew men well enough to know
that unless she herself had damped his ardour, this state of things was
not altogether natural, and therefore it might imply some lack in her
own charm, which was not an agreeable thought. However, she need not
feel really disquieted while his attentions were still so _empressé_.
* * * * *
"Seraphim, I walked back from church with Miss Bush," Gerard said,
stretching himself out in a huge chair by his aunt's fire, while he
lighted a cigarette. "You are quite right, she is a most intelligent
young woman; how do you account for that something about her which is
not at all of her class?"
"I don't know, it has puzzled me. I was watching her to-day pouring out
the tea; she is the first secretary I have ever had, not excepting poor
Arnott, who on such occasions did not feel that one or other of the
guests was trying to snub her--Katherine Bush is never on the
defensive--it is quite unique in a person of her station."
"I watched her, too, and was struck with the same thing; and to-day she
talked so well. She wanted to hear about the pictures--she is absolutely
frank and tells one in the naïvest manner about what things she is
ignorant of--but one finds that she must have read considerably."
"She is full of theories about tradition and evolution. I let her tell
me them motoring down--she seems to have dissected herself and her
family in an endeavour to eradicate what she disapproves of in the way
of instincts."
"It is astonishing, isn't it, Seraphim?"
"Very--she made one or two rather dreadful gaffes when she first came,
especially during the tableaux week--it was quite interesting to see her
face when she realised this. She did not once try to explain them
away--she drew in her lips and I could see she was registering a vow
never to make the same mistake again. That kind of nature always wins
any game it is playing."
"I wonder what hers is--don't you?"
"The immediate one obviously is to turn herself into a lady--She means
to do in a few years consciously, what nature takes many generations to
accomplish in the ordinary course of events--Her progress is quite
remarkable even in these six weeks."
"What shall you do with her, Seraphim?"
"Keep her as long as she will stay with me, G., and perhaps take her
education in hand myself when you all leave." And then Lady Garribardine
laughed softly. "Läo is a huge joke, dear boy--I think the parrot rooms
suit her, don't you? Are you pleased with my arrangements for my
guests?"
There was something exquisitely whimsical in Her Ladyship's old black
eyes, his met them delightedly. Aunt and nephew understood each other so
well, these two perfect citizens of the world!
"Läo is charming! And I am sure she is deriving all sorts of
inspirations from the blue macaw's amourettes with the yellow-crested
cockatoo, which she looks at from her downy couch--Seraphim, I am going
to persuade Beatrice to stay on--Beatrice is an excellent creature in
spite of her contempt for my powers as a chauffeur! She is quite amused
with Victor Thistlethwaite. I paved the way by suggesting to her this
morning that she should take the early train on Thursday, and she said
at once, that she rather thought she was not leaving until Saturday with
the rest."
Lady Garribardine chuckled delightedly; the noise was as of cream
bubbling--if cream can bubble!
"_Tiens!_" was all she said and then went on to speak of other things.
"Betty d'Estaire is going to catch young Allonby, G. I believe they will
settle it to-night. For one of my blood she has a number of overmodern
faults, and Gwendoline and Arabella will be glad to get her off their
hands."
"She is a promising young person."
"Even blood can't stand against the total want of discipline which
prevails among the present generation, G. When these impossible girls'
children have grown up there won't be any ladies left."
"I don't think they will have many children--we are breeding a neuter
race, Seraphim. All the games are making their bones too rigid, and all
the want of discipline is weakening their nerves--very few of the future
ones will be able to stand the agonies of child-bearing."
"You are not in a position to criticise, G., with no offspring of your
own!"
"I am not an eldest son; there is no obligation entailed upon me! Dick
has three boys, fortunately, and Alec, two."
"I consider that the poorest excuse."
Mr. Strobridge sighed.
"Perhaps it is--the whole thing is rather played out with us all, isn't
it? Seraphim, when I talked with that balanced, healthy young woman
to-day, I felt we want an admixture of new blood in a number of our
families, if only to bring back our enthusiasm. Dick's children are fine
enough fellows physically, but there is not half a peck o' wits among
them--and as you know, Alec's little Yankee chaps are what their mother
calls 'brainy' to a degree, but masses of overstrung nerves as well."
Lady Garribardine leaned forward from among her sofa cushions and looked
at her nephew with a quizzical eye.
"G., if you were free and my heir, I'd marry you off to Katherine Bush
just for the pleasure of the experiment!"
Then the little Sèvres clock chimed. "Why, it is striking the
quarter--rush off at once, dear boy!--and don't forget to put on your
hunt coat; the scarlet pleases the children."
* * * * *
In another part of the house, Her Ladyship's secretary, quite unaware
that she was under discussion, was joyously dressing in her pretty
oak-panelled room, with a delicious sense of excitement. Martha was
coming in to help her presently for this wonderful first occasion in her
life when she should put on a real evening dress, showing pearl white
neck and arms. Gladys had given her every instruction as to its
fastenings and had supervised the making of it with a zeal which she
would only have bestowed upon an order from the richest customer. The
frock fitted to perfection, and was astonishingly becoming in its black
simplicity.
Martha had brought her in some beautiful lilies of the valley, when she
came with her hot water, accompanied by the information that Mr.
Strobridge's valet had handed them to her for Miss Bush, from his
master.
Gerard had been robbing the hothouses evidently. The head gardener was a
particular friend of his. They were just the touch wanted to complete
the picture; their snowy whiteness and brilliant forced green gave the
note of freshness which went so well with Katherine's skin--of an
astonishing purity--by candle-light as clear as ivory and as pale in
tone.
She gazed into her looking-glass and felt satisfied with what she saw,
and presently she held her shoulders back and her head up, and walked
down the corridor with the grace of a Comédie Française queen! So
greatly does the consciousness of fine raiment affect the morale of
young women!
Lady Beatrice came out of her room in the great gallery and they went
down together.
"You do look so pretty, Miss Bush," she said. "What a duck of a frock!
It looks like an Ermantine."
"Yes, my sister is a saleswoman there, and she had it made for me,"
Katherine told her.--"I am glad you think it looks well. I have never
had on a real evening dress before."
"You know how to wear it so that is all right! Ah, children, come
along!" as three joyous calls came from over the banisters. And
Katherine slipped on alone. Lady Garribardine had told her, before she
went to dress, to go to Bronson to see that a special order about the
presents was carried out.
All the party were assembled in the great drawing-room when this duty
was done, and so her entrance did not pass unremarked.
"By Jove!" was the significant exclamation of old Colonel Hawthorne.
"And I am to have the pleasure of taking you in to dinner," said the
charming young man who had so far succeeded in diverting Lady Beatrice.
Gerard Strobridge felt a strange sensation as he looked at Katherine
presently, between the great bowls of camellias--there was no comparison
with anyone at the table; Her Ladyship's secretary had blossomed forth
into the beauty of the night.
"How clothes can alter a person!" Mrs. Delemar said without
conscious spite--dependents, even pretty ones, were not things which
counted.--"Look, G.--dear Sarah's typist appears quite pretty to-night,
and how kind she is to her servants; see, she has let the girl have
those beautiful lilies of the valley which Hawke told me to-day when you
were making him give me the orchids, it just breaks his heart to have to
cut!"