Comedies of Courtship

by Anthony Hope

  CHAPTER VIII

  MR. AND MRS. ASHFORTH (1)

  All that evening Miss Bellairs was not observed--and Deane watched hervery closely--to address a word to Charlie Ellerton; even 'good-night'was avoided by a premature disappearance and unexpected failure toreturn. Perhaps it was part of the same policy of seclusion which madeher persuade Lady Deane to travel to Paris with her in one compartmentand relegate the men to another--a proposal which the banished acceptedby an enthusiastic majority of two to one. The General foresaw aninfinity of quiet naps and Deane uninterrupted smoking; Charlie alonechafed against the necessary interruption of his bold campaign, but, inface of Dora's calm coldness of aspect, he did not dare to lift up hisvoice.

  Lady Deane was so engrossed in the study--or the search foropportunities of study--of sides of life with which she was unfamiliaras to be, for the most part, blind to what took place immediatelyaround her. General Bellairs himself (who vaguely supposed that someman might try to make love to his daughter five years hence, andthereupon be promptly sent off with a flea in his ear) was not moreunconscious than she that there was, had been, or might be anything, asthe phrase runs, 'between' the two junior members of the party. LadyDeane had no hints to give and no questions to ask; she seated herselfplacidly in a corner and began to write in a large note-book. She hadbeen unwillingly compelled to 'scamp' Marseilles, but, as she wrote,she found that the rough notes she was copying, aided by fresh memory,supplied her with an ample fund of material. Alternately she smiledcontentedly to herself, and gazed out of the window with a preoccupiedair. Clearly a plot was brewing-, and the author was grateful to Dorafor restricting her interruptions to an occasional impatient sigh andthe taking up and dropping again of her Tauchnitz.

  With the men tongues moved more.

  "Well, General," said Deane, "what's Miss Dora's ultimatum about yourstaying in Paris?"

  Charlie pricked up his ears and buried his face behind La VieParisienne.

  "You'll think me very weak, Deane," rejoined the General, with anapologetic laugh, "but I've promised to go straight on if she wants meto."

  "And does she?"

  "I don't know what the child has got in her head, but she says she'lltell me when she gets to Paris. We shall have a day with you anyhow; Idon't think she's so set on not staying as she was, but I don't professto understand her fancies. Still, as you see, I yield to them."

  "Man's task in the world," said Deane. "Eh, Charlie? What are youhiding behind that paper for?"

  "I was only looking at the pictures."

  "Quite enough too. You're going to stay in Paris, aren't you?"

  "Don't know yet, old fellow. It depends on whether I get a lettercalling me back or not."

  "Hang it, one might as well be in a house where the shooting turns outa fraud. Nobody knows that he won't have a wire any morning and have togo back to town. My wife 'll be furious if you desert her, General."

  "Oh, I hope it won't come to that."

  "I hope awfully that I shall be able to stay," said Charlie, withobvious sincerity.

  "Then," observed Deane with a slight smile, "if the General and MissBellairs leave us you can take my wife about."

  "I should think you might take her yourself," and he gently kickedDeane. He was afraid of arousing the General's dormant suspicions.

  It was late at night when they arrived in Paris, but the faithful Laingwas on the platform to meet them, and received them with a warmgreeting. While the luggage was being collected by Deane's man, theystood and talked on the platform. Presently the General, struck by asudden thought, asked:

  "I suppose nothing came for us at Cannes, oh, Laing? You said you'dbring anything on, you know."

  Laing interrupted a pretty speech which he was trying to direct intoDora's inattentive ears.

  "Beg pardon, General?"

  "No letters for any of us before you left Cannes?"

  "No, Gen--" he began, but suddenly stopped. His mouth remained open andhis glass fell from his eye.

  The General, not waiting to hear more than the first word, had rushedof to hail a cab and Deane was escorting his wife. Dora and Charliestood waiting for the unfinished speech.

  The end came slowly and with a prodigious emphasis of despair.

  "Oh, by Jove!"

  "Well, Mr. Laing?" said Dora.

  "The morning you left--just after--there were two telegrams."

  "For me?" said each of his auditors.

  "One for each of you, but

  "Oh, give me mine."

  "Hand over mine, old chap."

  "I--I haven't got 'em."

  "What?"

  "I--I'm awfully sorry, I.----I forgot 'em."

  "Oh, how tiresome of you, Mr. Laing!"

  "Send 'em round first thing to-morrow, Laing."

  "But--but I don't know where I put 'em. I know I laid 'em down. Then Itook 'em up. Then I put 'em--where the deuce did I put 'em? Here's ago, Miss Bellairs! I say, I am an ass!"

  No contradiction assailed him. His victims glared reproachfully at him.

  "I must have left them at Cannes. I'll wire first thing in the morning,Miss Bellairs; I'll get up as soon as ever the office is open. I say,do forgive me."

  "Well, Mr. Laing, I'll try, but----"

  "Laing! Here! My wife wants you," shouted Sir Roger, and the criminal,happy to escape, ran away, leaving Dora and Charlie alone.

  "They must have been from _them_," murmured Dora.

  "No doubt; and that fool Laing----"

  "What has he done with them?"

  "Lit his pipe with them, I expect."

  "Oh, what shall we do?"

  "I don't know."

  "What--what do you think they said, Mr. Ellerton?"

  "How can I tell? Perhaps that the marriage was off!"

  "Oh!" escaped from Dora.

  "Perhaps that it was going on."

  "It's worse than ever. They may have asked for answers."

  "Probably."

  "And they won't have written here!"

  "Sure not to have."

  "And--and I shan't know what to do. I--I believe it was to say he hadbroken off the marriage."

  "Is the wish father to the thought?"

  The lights of the station flickered, but Charlie saw, or thought hesaw, a hasty unpremeditated gesture of protest.

  "Dolly!" he whispered.

  "Hush, hush! How can you now--before we know?"

  "The cab's waiting," called Deane. "Come along."

  They got in in silence. The General and the Deanes went first, and thethree young people followed in a second vehicle. It was but justtwelve, and the boulevards were gay and full of people.

  Suddenly, as they were near the Opera, they saw the tall figure of anunmistakable Englishman walking away from them down the Avenue del'Opera. Dora clutched Charlie's arm with a convulsive grip.

  "Hullo, what's the--" he began, but a second pinch enforced silence.

  "See that chap?" asked Laing, pointing to the figure. "He's at myhotel."

  "Is he?" said Dora in a faint voice.

  "Yes, I've got a good deal of amusement out of him. He oughtn't to beout so late though, and by himself, too!"

  "Who is it?" asked Charlie.

  "I don't know his name."

  "And why oughtn't he to be out?"

  "Because he's on his honeymoon,"

  "What?" cried Dora.

  "Just married," explained Laing. "Wife's a tallish girl, fair, rathergood-looking; looks standoffish though."

  "You--you're sure they're married, Mr. Laing?" gasped Dora, andCharlie, in whom her manner had awakened a suspicion of the truth, alsowaited eagerly for the reply.

  "What, Miss Bellairs?" asked Laing in surprise.

  "Oh, I mean--I mean you haven't made a mistake?"

  "Well, they're together all day, and nobody's with them except alady's-maid. I should think that's good enough."

  With a sigh Dora sank back against the cushions. They were at the hotelnow; the others had already enter
ed, and, bidding Laing a heartygood-night, Dora ran in, followed closely by Charlie. He did notovertake her before she found her father.

  "Well, Dolly," said the General, "there's no letter."

  "Oh," cried Dolly, "I'll stay as long as ever you like, papa."

  "That's right," said Deane. "And you, Charlie?"

  Charlie took his cue.

  "A month if you like."

  "Capital! Now for a wash--come along, Maud--and then supper!"

  Dora lingered behind the others, and Charlie with her. Directly theywere alone, he asked:

  "What does it all mean?"

  She sat down, still panting with agitation.

  "Why--why, that man we saw--the man Mr. Laing says is on his honeymoon,is--is----"

  "Yes, yes?"

  "Mr. Ashforth!"

  "Dolly! And his wife! By Jove! It's an exact description of MaryTravers!"

  "The telegrams were to say the marriage was to be at once."

  "Yes, and--they're married!"

  "Yes!"

  A short pause marked the astounding conclusion. Then Charlie came upvery close and whispered:

  "Are you broken-hearted, Dolly?"

  She turned her face away with a blush.

  "Are you, Dolly?"

  "I'm very much ashamed of myself," she murmured. "Oh, Mr. Ellerton, notjust yet!" and in deference to her entreaty Charlie had the grace topostpone what he was about to do.

  When the supper was ready Sir Roger Deane looked round the tableinquiringly.

  "Well," said he, "what is it to be?"

  "Champagne--champagne in magnums!" cried Charlie Ellerton, with aringing laugh.