Nedra

by George Barr McCutcheon

  CHAPTER XI

  DISCOVERED

  Lord Huntingford could not forgive the man who had put his aristocraticnose out of joint in such an effective manner. He was, however, aspolite as nature would permit him to be to Miss Ridge and Mr. Veath. Asfor Hugh, that young gentleman thought it the wiser plan, whenunavoidably relating a mild description of last night's encounter, toabstain from acquainting Grace with Lord Huntingford's discovery of hisname--whether accidental or otherwise. Quite rightly he surmised that itwould unnecessarily distress her, and he preferred not to cross thebridge until he came to it.

  It was the evening following the conflict. As night approached, the sunfell behind the shores of the Red Sea, the stars twinkled out throughthe blackness above, and yet they had not caught a glimpse of herLadyship. At dinner, he and Grace had agreed that she had eitherrenounced them entirely, or had been compelled to avoid him inparticular. Veath was less concerned. He was thinking of another woman.

  Hugh and Grace again stole away for a few moments of seclusion on deck.They found chairs and sat down, neither very talkative.

  "Oh, Hugh, just think where we are," she murmured at last. "Thousandsof miles from home, and no one the wiser save ourselves. Chicago is onthe other side of the world."

  "Are you sorry you came, dear?"

  "I am glad. But isn't it awful to consider how far we are from everybodywe know? We might just as well be dead, Hugh." She was very solemn andwide-eyed.

  "I am afraid you are losing heart," he said disconsolately.

  "Why, Hugh Ridgeway--Ridge, I mean,--how can I afford to lose heart now?Don't ever say that to me again."

  "Yes; we are a long way from home, dear," mused he after a while.

  "How far are we from Manila?" she asked suddenly.

  "A million miles, judging by the way time goes. We'll be there in twentydays, the captain says."

  "What do you suppose Mr. Veath will say when he hears of our marriage?"This question was propounded after a longer interval of silencethan usual.

  "Why should we care what Mr. Veath says? If he doesn't approve, let himgo to--" but Hugh checked his fiery speech as abruptly as he began it.

  "He will be awfully shocked to learn how we have deceived him," she wenton, as if he had not spoken.

  "Well, do you care?" demanded Hugh.

  "Yes, I care," she cried. "I shall be very sorry if he loses the goodopinion he may have formed. He is the kind of a man who would notunderstand such an affair as this."

  "But, then, we are not obliged to tell him. We can get married and leaveManila at once without ever seeing him again. After that we will be Mr.and Mrs. Ridgeway, and he could never find the people known as HughRidge and sister."

  "That would be a shameless way to treat him. He has been so true, sogood, Hugh," she cried reproachfully. For quite a while their eyeslingered upon the dark water without seeing it, their thoughts centredupon the fast approaching end of their relationship with Henry Veath.

  "I wish he could be told," murmured she, her voice far away.

  "I couldn't do it to save my soul. What would he say?" There was an awedanxiety in his voice.

  "I don't care what other people say, but I do care what he says. Heseems so honest, so far above tricks of this kind."

  "What's one man's opinion, anyhow, especially when he's to be buried inManila for years?"

  "Oh, Hugh! How lonely he will be in that strange place. And how dreadfulit will be in us to sneak away from him like cowards, just as if wecared nothing for him at all. He doesn't deserve that, does he?"

  "No, he doesn't, that's a fact. We can't treat him like a dog."

  "I wish he could be told," sighed she pensively.

  "When?"

  "You might try to tell him at any time," she said, a perceptible strainin her voice.

  "I'll tell you what I'll do," said he, taking her hand in his. "I willtell him the day before we reach Manila."

  "I'm afraid it will be too late," she cried, all a-flutter.

  "Too late? Why?"

  "I mean," she went on confusedly, "he might think we had waited toolong." She was thinking of Veath's wistful eyes.

  "Hello! Here you are," cried a strong voice, and Veath loomed up throughthe shadows. Hugh released her hand and dropped back in the chair fromwhich he had half risen to kiss her. "You hide away like a pair of sillylovers. There's nothing prosaic about this brother and sister. Do youknow, I have often marvelled over one thing in connection with you. Youdon't look any more like brother and sister than the sea looks likedry land."

  The pair caught breath sharply and Hugh almost snorted aloud. Gracecould do nothing but look up to where she saw the red fluctuating glowof a cigar tip in the darkness. It made her think of a little moon whichcould breathe like herself.

  "It all goes to show how deceptive appearances can be," went on Veatheasily. "Don't you want to walk, Miss Ridge? I'm sure you needexercise."

  "I promised Hugh I would drive away his blues, Mr. Veath. Thank you,but I believe I'll sit here for a while and then go below," she said, atrifle disconnectedly.

  "We'll take Hugh along," said Veath obligingly. "Come along, both ofyou."

  "Excuse me, Henry, but I don't feel like walking," said Hugh, a tinge ofsullenness in his manner.

  "Lazy, eh? Well, I'll bring Miss Ridge back in half an hour. Youwouldn't have me wander about this dismal old boat alone, would you?Smoke a cigar, Hugh, and I'll take care of your sister while you countthe stars." He offered Hugh a cigar.

  Hugh rose suddenly and started away.

  "Hugh!" called she, "come and walk with us." He could distinguish theloving entreaty, the trouble in her tones, but he was unreasonable.

  "Never mind me," he sang out with an assumption of cheerfulness. Graceflushed hotly, her heart swelling with injured pride. Without anotherword she rose and walked away with Veath. Indignation burned within hersoul until she went to sleep, hours afterward.

  Ridgeway stamped the full length of the promenade before he came to anunderstanding with himself. On reaching that understanding, he whirledand walked back to where he had left them, expecting to find Veathoccupying the chair he had vacated. Of course they were not to be found,so he threw himself on one of the chairs, more miserable than he hadbeen since they started on their voyage. The lady in the chair to hisleft stirred nervously and then a soft laugh came from her lips.

  "Are you sleepy, Mr. Ridge?" she asked. Hugh turned quickly and lookedinto the face of Lady Huntingford.

  "Not at all," he replied. "But how strange it seems that you shouldalways appear like the fairy queen when I am most in need of a bracer.Oh, I beg your pardon," he went on, rising in some perturbation. "Iforgot that there is a--a barrier between us. War has been declared,I fear."

  "I am ready to make friendly overtures," she said gaily. "Isn't theresome such thing as a treaty which requires a strong power to protect itsweaker ally in time of stress?"

  "You mean that we may still be friends in spite of all that happenedlast night?" he cried. She nodded her head and smiled, and he shook herhand as only an impulsive American would.

  "But Lord Huntingford? What will he say?" he asked.

  "His Lordship's authority can be carried to a certain limit and nofarther," she said, and her eyes flashed. "He knows when to curse andabuse; but he also knows when that attitude might operate against him.He is not in a position to push me to the wall."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean he knows enough not to drive me to the point where I would turnand fight." Hugh never had seen her so entrancing as she was in that dimlight, her face the picture of proud defiance.

  "I wonder not a little that you have not asked for a divorce long beforethis."

  "You are not a woman or you would not ask that."

  "Lots of women ask for divorces."

  "It should be the last resort with any woman. But let us talk ofsomething else. Where is your sister? I have not seen her to-day."

  This question was particularly il
l-timed, for it restored the forgottenbitterness to the position from which it had been temporarily driven bythe interruption.

  "I don't know," he answered.

  "I thought I heard her talking to you here a few moments ago--in fact, Isaw you."

  "Where were you?"

  "I passed within a dozen feet of you. Neither of you saw me, I am sure.You would not have cut me intentionally, would you?"

  "I should say not. You walked past here?"

  "Yes, you were tying her shoe-string."

  "What!" exclaimed he, starting to his feet, "tying Grace's shoe-string?"The first thought that rushed to his mind was that Veath had knelt toplead his love to Grace Vernon.

  "Lady Huntingford, let us walk," he exclaimed. It was a fierce,impatient command instead of a polite invitation. The pretty youngwoman calmly lay back in her chair and laughed. "If you won't come, thenplease excuse me. I must go."

  "Why are you so eager to walk, Mr. Ridgeway?" she asked.

  "Because I want--what was that you called me?" he gasped, his heartalmost turning upside down.

  "Ridgeway. That's your name, isn't it?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Oh, a great many things," she said with a serious face.

  Hugh was visibly annoyed. There was to be more trouble from thenobleman; evidently he did not intend to keep his promise.

  "In the first place," she continued, "I must acknowledge that I forcedfrom my husband an account of last night's affair; he also told me yourname. But, believe me, it will go no further. I cannot thank you enough,Mr. Ridgeway," the color stealing into her cheeks.

  Ridgeway bowed.

  "In the next place," she went on playfully, "you are very jealous of Mr.Veath. Tut, tut, yes you are," with a gesture of protest. "He thinksMiss Ridge is your sister, and she is not your sister. And lastly,nobody on board knows these facts but the very bright woman who istalking to you at this moment."

  "But you are mistaken, madam," with a last attempt at assumption ofdignity.

  "Would I say this to you if I were not positive? You think you are veryclever; I'll admit that you are. Your secrets came to me through anaccident. Do not think that I have pried into your affairs. They reallyforced themselves upon me."

  "Tell me what you know, for Heaven's sake," cried the dismayed Ridgeway.

  "I was in your sister's room earlier in the day. Her trunk was open andI saw a portfolio with Vernon in silver lettering; and I was moremystified than ever when I observed that the initials on her trunk were'G.V.' All day yesterday I tried to solve the problem, taking intoconsideration the utter absence of family resemblance between you, and Iwas almost sick with curiosity. To-day I was convinced that her name isnot Ridge. She inadvertently signed her name to the purser's slip in mypresence, and she did not sign the--yours. She scratched it out quicklyand asked him to make out another one. Now, what is this mystery?" Shebent her gaze upon his face and he could not meet it.

  "Do you want to know the reason why I did not see you yesterday?" shecontinued.

  "Yes," he murmured, mopping his brow.

  "Because I was so distressed that I feared I could not face either ofyou, knowing what I do."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I know you are running away." Not a word was spoken for a full minute.He could scarcely breathe. "You do not deny it?" she questioned gently."Please do not fear me."

  "I do not fear you," he half whispered, sinking his chin in his hands.Another long silence.

  "There are some circumstances and conditions under which a woman shouldnot be condemned for running away," she said in a strained, farawayvoice. "Has--has she children?"

  "Good Heaven!" cried Hugh, leaping to his feet, horror-struck.