CHAPTER XIII
THE LOVER GREETS THE LADY
There was a pause when he had gone.
Mrs. Clive, the very essence of dignified disapprobation, stood in thecentre of the room. Mr. Ash, a little flustered, was near the window,first gazing through it in the direction which Mr. Summers had taken,and then, a little dubiously, out of the corners of his eyes at hisindignant friend. Mr. Ely's hands were in his trouser pockets, hislegs were wide apart his countenance was red. He seemed to be in avery dissatisfied frame of mind indeed.
It was he who broke the silence.
"You see, Ash, it was a wild goose chase we came upon! That man lookslike it, by George!"
"My dear fellow, I hope you will not pay the slightest attention towhat that person says. He is the kind of man who will say anything. Iassure you there is not the slightest occasion for you to feelconcerned."
From Mr. Ash's manner it almost seemed as though he desired to conveya greater feeling of assurance that he quite felt himself. He castseveral glances in the direction of Mrs. Clive, as though seeking forsupport.
"It depends upon what you call the 'slightest occasion' for concern,"retorted Mr. Ely drily. "When a man tells you that he is going tomarry the girl who has promised to be your wife, and that he is goingto meet her underneath the trysting tree--where love lies dreaming, hesaid, by gad!--some people would think that there was some reason tofeel concerned!"
Mr. Ash smiled and rubbed his hands, and fidgeted upon his feet, andlooked at Mrs. Clive. He seemed to find some difficulty in findingsomething suitable to say. But Mrs. Clive came nobly to his rescue.
She advanced to Mr. Ely with a smiling countenance and an outstretchedhand.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Ely; you have not spoken to me yet. I am pleasedto have you back with us so soon."
Mr. Ely seemed in two minds at first as to whether he should take herhand. Then he just touched it with his own.
"Good afternoon, ma'am! If you're pleased, I'm sure I am--though Imust say your pleasure's easily found."
But the old lady was not to be so easily put down. Her cue seemed tobe to assume unconsciousness of there being anything unpleasant in theair.
"The pleasure of your visit is heightened by its unexpectedness. Lilyhas been working all the morning in her room upstairs--you have noidea how industrious she is."
Mr. Ely looked at her suspiciously, as though he doubted if she were astrict exponent of the truth.
"I thought he said that he was going to meet her underneath thetrysting tree!"
The old lady smiled a superior smile.
"You really must not believe such nonsense as that. I assure you it isthe greatest presumption upon his part."
"It would require a good deal of assurance to make me believe that itwas not."
"Lily will be with us directly. Young ladies cannot rush into agentleman's presence quite at a moment's notice, you know."
"I beg that Miss Truscott will take her time!"
Mr. Ely marched to the other end of the room, and stood looking inrather too obvious admiration at an engraving after Landseer whichhung upon the wall. Mrs. Clive, a little disconcerted, was left tomake conversation with Mr. Ash. But Mr. Ash was in a distinctly uneasyframe of mind.
"I suppose," he said in a whisper to the lady, keeping one eye fixedon Mr. Ely all the time, "I suppose she'll come?"
"My dear Mr. Ash, what do you mean?"
The lady's modulated tones betrayed the most intense surprise. Mr. Ashcoughed. His manner was apologetic. But without volunteering anexplanation he sauntered off towards Mr. Ely. He had hardly taken astep when the door opened and Miss Truscott appeared. The young lady'sentrance, in its way, was perfect. She was so extremely at her ease.She stood at the door a moment, and then advanced with outstretchedhands and the sweetest smile to Mr. Ash. She did not seem to noticeMr. Ely. He, on his part, continued to admire the engraving.
"Guardian! How kind of you to take me by surprise like this!"
Mr. Ash took the two hands she offered and looked at her. Certainlythis was a woman whom no man need be ashamed to call his wife. Tallabove the average of her sex, yet her figure was exquisitelyfeminine--she bore herself with the daintiest grace. She was dressedin white from head to foot; a silver belt went round her waist; in thebelt were some red roses; there was another rosebud in the bosom ofher dress. As Mr. Ash held her two soft, white hands in his heinvoluntarily glanced in the direction of the dapper little gentlemanwho was continuing to examine the engraving which hung upon the wall.Even if they made a match of it they would scarcely make a pair, thesetwo.
"What have you to say for yourself?" asked the lady, seeing that hewas still. "Do you know how long it is since you came to look upon myface? Does your conscience not reproach you, sir? I suppose it is theJuggernaut of commerce which has kept you so long away?"
Mr. Ash smiled, and pressed her hands. Possibly the source from whichshe drew the reference to the Juggernaut of commerce was still freshin his mind, for there was something a little uneasy in his smile.
"I think you will allow that I have atoned for my misconduct when youperceive whom I have brought as my companion."
Mr. Ash motioned towards Mr. Ely with his now disengaged hand. MissTruscott turned with her most innocent air. When she perceived thelittle gentleman, her countenance was illumined with a seraphic smile.
"Mr. Ely! Who would have thought of seeing you? This is a compliment!To be able to tear yourself away again so quickly from your Noras andDoras, and bulls and bears."
Mr. Ely ceased to examine the engraving. Turning, he pulled hisspotless white waistcoat down into its place, and then thrust histhumbs into the armholes. He looked the lady in the face.
"I knew you would be surprised," he said.
"Surprised! Surprised is not the word!" Then she turned again to Mr.Ash. "Guardian, would you like to look at the garden? You have no ideahow beautiful it is."
Mr. Ash cleared his throat. He felt that this was a defiance, that inthese seemingly innocent words the gage of challenge was thrown down.Miss Truscott was quite aware that he had not come down to look at thegarden. He looked at Mr. Ely, but that gentleman kept his eyes fixedupon his faithless fair one with a sort of glare. He looked at Mrs.Clive, but there were no signs that help was likely to come fromthere. The stockbroker felt that it was incumbent upon him to come tothe point.
"My dear Lily, I shall be delighted to see the garden--delighted--byand by!" This interpolation was necessary because the young ladysailed towards the window as though she wished to fly into the gardenon the wings of the wind. "Before I can give myself that pleasure,there is one little point which I should like to have cleared up."
Miss Truscott, brought to a standstill, looked down at the toe of thelittle shoe with which she was tapping the floor.
"Yes, guardian. What is that?"
Nothing could be better--in its way--than the air of shy, sweetmodesty with which she asked the question. But Mr. Ash felt that itwas a little disconcerting all the same.
"It's--eh!--rather a delicate point for an old--and crusty--bachelorlike me to handle."
Mr. Ash said this with an air of forced joviality which was anythingbut jovial. His gruesome effort to be cheerful seemed to strike MissTruscott, for she gave him a quick, penetrating glance which took himconsiderably aback.
"Guardian! Aren't you well?"
"Well? God bless the girl, yes! What do you mean?"
Back went the eyes to the toe, which again began tapping the floor. "Ididn't know."
Mr. Ash pulled himself together. He made another effort, and beganagain. He was not a man who was deficient in tact as a rule, but hewas conscious that his was a position in which even something morethan tact might be required. Joining the tips of his fingers, hebalanced himself upon his toes and heels, assuming what he intended tobe a judicial attitude.
"My dear Lily, you are quite aware that you have reached an age atwhich it is no
longer possible to treat you as a girl."
"Would you treat me as an old woman, then?"
This was disconcerting; even more disconcerting was the glance withwhich it was accompanied. Mr. Ash--who had the sense of humour whichMr. Ely lacked--was quite aware that the young lady was laughing inher sleeve, and he had very clearly in his mind the memory of previousoccasions on which the young lady had beaten him with weapons againstwhich none of his were of the least avail. Still, he stuck to hisguns. Was not Mr. Ely looking on? And Mrs. Clive?
"I would treat you as a person who has arrived at years of discretion,who is conscious of the meaning of the words which she may use. Onemoment!" For Miss Truscott murmured something about her not being yettwenty-one, and he felt that interruption might be fatal. "Lily, youare at least aware of what a promise means."
The young lady sighed.
"It depends," she said.
"Depends!--depends on what?"
She looked up. Feeling that it would be impossible for him to preservehis gravity and yet meet the wicked light which he knew was in hereyes, Mr. Ash's glance in turn sought refuge on the ground.
"Supposing," she explained, "when you were suffering from an attack ofindigestion you promised a friend to cut your throat--you know whatone is inclined to promise when one does feel ill. Would you feelconstrained to carry out your promise when you found that a dose ofsomebody's medicine had brought you round?"
Mr. Ash was still. Mrs. Clive took up the parable instead.
"Lily! I'm amazed at you!"
"My dear aunt, why are you amazed?"
"I never thought a niece of mine could have acted so."
Miss Truscott sighed.
"It seems to me that of late I'm always doing wrong. I don't know howit is. I think I had better go into the garden all alone."
She gave a half-step towards the window. Mr. Ash cleared his throatwith rather a suspicious "hem!"
"It won't do, Lily. I know your genius for turning serious questionsupside down, but I ask you to put it to your conscience if, on thepresent occasion, that is fair. A matter which affects the lives of aman and of a woman ought to be approached with gravity at least."
"Is the woman me?" She looked at him out of the corners of her eyes."Oughtn't that to be--Is the woman I?" Then she broke into a smile."What can you expect when even the elementary rules of grammar are notthere?"
So far Mr. Ely had kept a judicious, if not a judicial, silence. Butwhen he saw that Miss Truscott was smiling at Mr. Ash, and more thansuspected that Mr. Ash was smiling back at her, he felt that it wastime for him to speak.
"If you will allow me, Ash, I'll manage this myself."
"Delighted, my dear fellow, I am sure!"
"I fancy I am the person principally concerned."
"Quite so, quite so!"
"If you will leave me alone with Miss Truscott, I've no doubt that ina few minutes we shall understand each other very well indeed."
"I'm sure you will! I feel quite sure you will!"
Mr. Ash's tone was cheerful--Mr. Ely felt that it was evenexasperatingly cheerful. Advancing, he laid his hand upon his ward'swell-rounded arm.
"Mind you behave yourself," he told her. Then he left the room.
"Lily," said Mrs. Clive, when Mr. Ash had gone, "I trust you will docredit to the precepts which I have so constantly, and I hopeconscientiously, endeavoured to instil into your mind, and that Ishall not have cause to blush for my own sister's child."
Then Mrs. Clive went after Mr. Ash, and the two were left alone.
The Woman with One Hand, and Mr. Ely's Engagement Page 24