"TO HIM WHO WAITS----"
Mrs. Bode's motley collection of good old "bits" of glass and china,
odds and ends of quaint rubbish--samplers, beads, monster shells,
mouldy books of great age, and Mrs. Bode's funny talk, had kept
Nancy well amused, and occupied for nearly an hour, and then her
hostess insisted on providing a meal, tea, home-made bread, fresh
butter, russet apples, and cold bacon. With considerable pomp this
simple repast, borne on a huge black tray,--was carried to the
front sitting-room, or parlour, and there laid out upon a fine gate
table,--flanked by cottage Chippendale chairs. From the deep narrow
window, overlooking the road, Nancy leant out, and beckoned gaily to
Sir Dudley,--who all this time had been pacing to and fro, smoking
endless cigarettes.
As Nancy poured out tea, and he took a place opposite, she wondered if
by any chance, Mrs. Bode would take them for husband and wife? Mrs.
Bode, having as she considered, "done her manners," and pressed jam,
bacon, and apples, in turn upon Sir Dudley, with an excuse about a sick
calf, left them to their own devices. Sir Dudley appeared unusually
silent and restless, he refused tea, but munched an apple, and then got
up and began to pace about the long low room. His manner was that of a
man, whose nerves were on edge.
"I can't think what is keeping the car," remarked Nancy, for the third
time; "surely that boy took the wire," and she, too, rose, and returned
to her post in the narrow deep-set window, through which the moonlight
streamed into the room, making everything as clear as day.
"It is five minutes past ten by my watch."
"I expect your watch is fast," said Sir Dudley, as he joined her.
"Did you ever behold a more glorious night? _Dio mio!_ What a night for
lovers!" he murmured, as he confronted her in the narrow space.
Nancy felt a little uncomfortable; a vague sensation of apprehension
came to her. "I think--I hear the car now," she announced, but her
voice had an uncertain sound.
"It's just like old times, to have you all to _myself_--even for an
hour or two," continued her companion--ignoring her remark--"I'm in no
hurry."
"But _I_ am," she declared with a nervous laugh.
"Everything comes to him who waits! I have waited nearly a year: and
now, Nancy darling--" here Sir Dudley suddenly put his arm round her
waist, "I've got you at _last_!"
For a moment she was too paralysed to move; then as she felt his grip
tightening, with a tremendous effort, she wrenched herself away, and
backed against the shutter, breathless, and gasping.
"What do you mean?" she stammered. "How dare you?"
"A man dares anything, when he loves a woman--as for what I _mean_,
I'll soon explain,--it's all I ask," he answered in a husky voice, now
seizing both her wrists in a vice-like grip, and devouring her with
his burning eyes. "Nancy, my love, I've adored you, from the moment
we first met; but Auntie Wolfe's presence, and your own strange cold
temperament,--held me in a state of frozen bondage. At first, I swear
to you, I strove hard to strangle, and hide my feelings,--because
Auntie Wolfe, my mother's friend, _believes_ in me; but it was useless.
After all, _why_ should I struggle against my good angel? and you are
cold and undemonstrative, as an angel should be--nevertheless, you _do_
care for me."
"No, no, no," protested Nancy breathlessly.--"Never--never--in the way
you mean--I think you must be mad! Let go my hands."
"But yes, yes, yes," he reiterated. "To what other fellow, have you
ever shown such preference? With me, you are always ready to sing,
or dance, or sketch, or walk. I have watched like a lynx,--for I am
as jealous as the devil,--and you have favoured _none_! As for Tony
Hillside and Lord Lanark, bah!! You and I have tastes in common, we
shall spend our lives together; we will go to Greece, to the Far East,
to Japan,--and I will be your humble, and devoted slave."
"_Will_ you release my hands?" she demanded furiously.
"Presently, darling,--when I have said my say! Listen. Auntie Wolfe
will forgive me in time; my wife will divorce me,--it will be merely a
question of money."
Nancy endeavoured to interrupt, but it was useless; she was overpowered
by a fiery torrent of words, and an emotion, ten times stronger than
her own.
"Sometimes you drove me mad," he went on, "I felt inclined to kill you,
and myself,--now fate has helped me!"
"I thought you were an honourable man," she broke in, "so this delay
about the car deserting us, was all planned."
"No! I swear to you--I'll take my oath it was not," relinquishing her
hands at last; "for once, good fortune has befriended me, and thrown
me a priceless chance. I should like to pension that silly ass of a
chauffeur; for thanks to _him_, you are irretrievably compromised!
Yes!" in reply to Nancy's gesture of recoil, "all the world will know,
that you and I, have spent the night here together. As Miss Travers,
you can never show your face in society; but later, as Lady Villars,
you will be welcomed with open arms. The wire I sent, was to my man
Antonio, telling him to bring my car and luggage here; I expect him
about eleven, possibly earlier; as soon as he arrives, we will start
for Folkestone, catch the early boat, and be in Paris in four hours!"
"Surely you do not suppose, that I will go with you," demanded Nancy
fiercely.
"I do not suppose you have any alternative!" he answered impressively.
"Of course I know, that I have startled you, by this unexpected _coup_,
but before long, believe me, Nancy, you will look upon this evening,
as the beginning of a new, and splendid life! _You_ were not borne to
waste your best days with an old woman,--who, much as I love her, saps
one's vitality! You cannot deny that I am handsome, well born, wealthy,
and adore you,--and if your cold little heart cares for anyone,--it
cares for _me_. We were born to be happy together."
"What crazy talk!" cried Nancy, and she made an effort to pass him.
"No! no! my own darling; you shall stay here, and listen to me. Such
love as mine, will kindle yours; it will,--it _must_!"
Nancy's lips trembled--but she made no reply; she glanced at him, then
round the room, with the eyes of a trapped animal; suddenly she made
a dart, and placed the table between them. Oh! if she could but reach
the door; but with folded arms, Sir Dudley stood between her, and that
means of escape,--eyeing her strangely. At last, she said, in a low
faint voice: "You spoke just now, about your wife?"
He nodded. "Yes! a she-devil; she's had serious money losses lately,
and I shall have no difficulty in bringing her to terms; my _wife_ will
be all right!"
"And what of my--_husband_?"
Villars broke into a loud derisive laugh, and said: "My own most
exquisite Nancy, why invent a fairy tale? You and I, will live, a fairy
tale."
"It is no fairy tale," she answered, "I was married in India before I
came home."
"Pardon me,--but I do not believe it."
"I cannot help that,--but it is true! Mrs. Ffinch knows, so does Mrs.
Hicks; she saw me married; it was all legal: my father wished it to
take place,--as he was dying."
"And who are you?--who is your husband?"
"Captain Mayne."
"_Mayne!_ why the joke gets better and better! you don't even speak;
could you not think of someone more probable? What a preposterous
make-up."
"It's no make-up, on my honour."
"Does Mrs. De Wolfe know?" he demanded sharply.
"No!"
"Nothing will ever make me believe your foolish story; if it were the
truth, _why_ conceal it?"
"Because"--choking as she spoke--"immediately after the ceremony my
father died; I was crazy with grief, I _hated_ the sight of Captain
Mayne, I wrote, and told him this,--and then I ran away."
"Ah! so you _can_ run away! Do you hate Captain Mayne now?"
"No, and if he would ask me, I would go back to him to-morrow."
Villars became suddenly livid--after a second's pause, a great
perpendicular vein showed itself suddenly in his forehead.
"You would, would you? Well, from what I've seen of Mayne, he's the
last sort of fellow to give you another chance; and anyhow this
little episode with _me_, will, if you _are_ his wife, choke him off
altogether! Listen to me, Nancy, I implore you; why waste your lovely
youth? Why not come with me: live while you live, and see the far away
beautiful world? And you _shall_ come with me," he concluded doggedly.
"I'd infinitely rather die!" she answered with decision.
"Oh, Nancy, when you speak, and look like that,--you break my heart;
for months you have been my hope, and star,--my one thought,--my only
object in life. Surely you _guessed_?"
"Never! or do you suppose, I should have been so friendly, and sisterly
and trustful? Mrs. De Wolfe said your emotional speeches, and impulsive
acts, were merely your Italian way,--and meant nothing,--she was
mistaken, I see!"
"She was," now approaching, his eyes flaming in a white face.
At this moment, the door opened, and Mrs. Bode appeared in a bedgown
and slippers. "There's ten o'clock gone, sir, and I'm thinking,
that you and your lady, will have to stop here to-night. I can make
up a room: it's not very grand, but,----" further information was
interrupted,--by Nancy, who, thrusting the astonished matron violently
aside, dashed out of the door, and ran down the long passage into the
kitchen. The sound of Nancy's high-heeled shoes racing along the flags,
brought Villars to his senses; he had a marvellous power of recovery
and self-control; he had realized from the first, when Nancy recoiled
from him against the shutter, that the game was lost! nevertheless,
some infernal, perverse, impulse, urged him to persist! He might yet
gain her by threats, and alarms--such cases had been known!
What devil had entered into him, and forced him to snatch his
opportunity; had whispered into his ear,--as he wrote that telegram in
this accursed room? The insanity of half an hour, had cost him the loss
of Nancy, and his old godmother. Naturally the Court would be closed to
him for the rest of his life. Yes! he had pretty well cooked himself.
Well! he must make the most of a bad job!
Meanwhile, Mrs. Bode was staring at him, with her hands on her hips and
her mouth half open. At last he turned round, and said: "The young lady
and I have had a falling out."
"Looks a bit like it, sir! and I declare, here's the car come back
for you at last!" for just at this moment, Antonio glided up to the
entrance. Strange to say, neither the man nor motor were the same--this
vehicle was a big grey open car, and there was luggage, and a lady's
fur-lined coat, which the chauffeur brought in, and handed to Mrs. Bode
with a ceremonious bow.
"Will you ask the lady to speak to me?" said Villars, as he pressed a
sovereign into Mrs. Bode's horny palm.
"Thank you, sir; it's entirely too much,--entirely too much! I'll go
and fetch the young lady," and Mrs. Bode padded off in her roomy felt
slippers. She found Nancy, in the kitchen,--looking strangely white,
and shaken.
"The car has come, miss," she announced cheerfully, "and here's your
fur coat. The gentleman will be thankful, if he might speak to you?"
"No, Mrs. Bode, I will never speak to that gentleman again! If he
follows me here I shall run away into the fields, or," looking round,
"anywhere!"
"Then you ain't going with him in that lovely car, miss?"
"No, I'm going to stay here to-night, Mrs. Bode; if you can give me a
bed or even a chair, and to-morrow morning _very_ early, I'll get Dan
to show me the way to the station."
"Oh, all right, miss, I'll give you a bed, and be pleased. At first, I
thought you were man and wife,--specially as he walked about outside,
and left you here by your lone,--but I see you've no ring."
"The gentleman is nothing to me,--nothing, _worse_ than nothing," cried
Nancy passionately, "we happen to be staying in the same house, that
was all; and the car left us here by mistake."
Sounds of a brisk booted foot, coming down the long passage; Nancy
looked at Mrs. Bode, who hastily opened a door, and thrust her through.
She found herself at the foot of some queer old stairs, that twisted
round a huge beam or post, and led up to a low loft-like bedroom,
with two windows, flush with the floor. Here was a tester bed,
painted washstand, and a beautiful chest of drawers, and here Nancy,
exhausted, and trembling, sat upon a low straw chair, her eyes riveted
on the grey motor car, immediately beneath them. It seemed to be
several hours,--but was really twenty minutes, before the car, and its
occupants, moved slowly out of sight.
After a brief interview with her hostess,--who had appeared with a pair
of clean sheets,--Nancy lay down on the tester bed, and in spite of a
lumpy mattress, and an overpowering smell of old feathers, slept, until
a shrill young cock, announced the breaking of another day.