Comedies of Courtship

by Anthony Hope

  CHAPTER VIII

  THE MORAL OF IT

  Left alone with Mrs. Blunt, Agatha sank into the nearest chair.

  "A very handsome young man, isn't he?" asked the good lady, pushing achair back into its place. "He'll be an acquisition, I think."

  Agatha made no answer, and Mrs. Blunt, glancing at her, found herdevouring the carpet with a stony stare.

  "What on earth's the matter, child?"

  "I'm the wretchedest wickedest girl alive," declared Agatha.

  "Good gracious!"

  "Mrs. Blunt, who do you think was in the summer-house when Mr. Merceronwent there?"

  "My dear, are you ill? You jump about so from subject to subject."

  "It's all one subject, Mrs. Blunt. There was a girl there."

  "Well, my dear, and if there was? Boys will be boys; and I'm sure therewas no harm."

  "No harm! Oh!"

  "Agatha, are you crazy?" demanded Mrs. Blunt, with an access ofsternness.

  "Could I fancy," pursued Agatha, in despairing playfulness mimickingUncle Van's manner, "how Miss Bushell looked, and how Victor looked,and how everybody looked? Could I fancy it? Why, I was there!"

  "There! Where?"

  "Why, in that wretched little temple. I was the girl, Mrs. Blunt.I--I--I was the milkmaid, as Mr. Sutton says. I was the country wench!Oh dear! oh dear! oh dear!"

  Mrs. Blunt, knowing her sex, held out a bottle of salts.

  "I'm not mad," said Agatha.

  "You're nearly hysterical."

  Agatha took a long sniff.

  "I think I can tell you now," she said more calmly. "But was ever agirl in such an awful position before?"

  It is needless to repeat what Mrs. Blunt said. Her censures will havebeen long ago anticipated by every right-thinking person, and if shesoftened them down a little more than strict justice allowed, it musthave been because Agatha was an old favorite of hers, and LordThrapston an old antipathy. Upon her word, she always wondered that thepoor child, brought up by that horrid old man, was not twice as bad asshe was.

  "But what am I to do about them?" cried Agatha.

  'Them' evidently meant Calder and Charlie.

  "Do! Why, there's nothing to do. You must just apologize to Mr.Merceron, and tell him that an end had better be put--"

  "Oh, I know--Mr. Taylor said that; but, Mrs. Blunt, I don't want an endto be put to our acquaintance. I like him very very much. Oh, and hethinks me horrid! Oh!"

  "Take another sniff," advised Mrs. Blunt, "Of course, if Mr. Merceronis willing to let bygones be bygones, and just be an acquaintance----"

  "Oh, but I know he won't. If you knew Charlie

  "Knew who, Agatha?"

  "Mr. Merceron," said Agatha, in a very humble voice. "If you knew himat all, you'd know he wouldn't do that."

  "Then you must send him about his business. Oh, yes, I know. You'vetreated him atrociously, but Calder Wentworth must be considered first;that is, if you care two straws for the poor fellow, which I begin todoubt."

  "Oh, I do, Mrs. Blunt!"

  "Agatha, you shameless girl, which of these men---?"

  "Don't talk as if there were a dozen of them, dear Mrs. Blunt. Thereare only two."

  "One too many."

  "Yes, I know. You--you see I'm--I'm accustomed to Calder."

  "Oh, are you?"

  "Yes. Don't be unkind, Mrs. Blunt. And then Charlie was something sonew--such a charming change--that----"

  "Upon my word, you might be your grandfather. Talk about heredity, andIbsen, and all that!"

  "Can't you help me, dear Mrs. Blunt?"

  "I can't give you two husbands, if that's what you want. There, child,don't cry. Never mind me. Have another sniff."

  "I shall go home," said Agatha. "Perhaps grandpapa may be able toadvise me."

  "Your grandfather! Gracious goodness, girl, you're never going to tellhim?"

  "Yes, I shall. Grandpapa's had a lot of experience: he says so."

  "I should think he had!" whispered Mrs. Blunt with uplifted hands.

  "Good-by, Mrs. Blunt. You don't know how unhappy I am. Thanks, yes, ahansom, please. Mrs. Blunt, are you going to ask Mr. Merceron hereagain?"

  Mrs. Blunt's toleration was exhausted.

  "Be off with you!" she said sternly, pointing a forefinger at the door.

  By great good fortune Agatha found Lord Thrapston at home. Drawing afootstool beside his chair, she sat down. Her agitation was past, andshe wore a gravely business like air.

  "Grandpapa," she began, "I have got something to tell you."

  "Go ahead, my dear," said the old gentleman, stroking her golden hair.Her father had curls like that when he was a boy.

  "Something dreadful I've done, you know. But you won't be very angry,will you?"

  "We'll see."

  "You oughtn't to be, because you're not very good yourself, are you?"and she first glanced up into his burnt-out old eyes and then pressedher lips on his knotted lean old hand.

  "Aggy," said he, "I expect you play the deuce with the young fellows,don't you?"

  Agatha laughed softly, but a frown succeeded.

  "That's just it," she said. "Now, you're to listen and not interrupt,or I shall never be able to manage it. And you're not to look at me,grandpapa."

  The narrative--that thrice-told tale--began. As the comments of Mr.Taylor and Mrs. Blunt were omitted, those of Lord Thrapston may wellreceive like treatment, more especially as they tended not toedification; but before his granddaughter had finished her story theold man had sworn softly four times and chuckled audibly twice.

  "I knew there was a girl in that temple, soon as Calder told me," saidhe.

  "But you didn't know who it was. Oh, and Calder doesn't?"

  "Not he. Well, you've made a pretty little fool of yourself, missie.What are you going to do now?"

  "That's what you've got to tell me."

  "I? Oh, I dare say. No, no; you got into the scrape and you can get outof it. And---" He suddenly recollected his duties. "Look here, Agatha,I must--hang it, Agatha, I shouldn't be doing my duty as--as agrandfather if I didn't say that it's a monstrous disgraceful thing ofyou to have done. Yes, d----d disgraceful;" and he took a pinch ofsnuff with an air of severe virtue.

  "Yes, dear; but you shouldn't swear, should you?"

  Lord Thrapston felt that he had spoilt the moral effect of his reproof,and, without dwelling further on that aspect of the subject, headdressed his mind to the more practical question. The outcome,different as the source was, was the same old verdict.

  "We must tell Calder, my dear. It isn't right to keep him in the dark."

  "I can't tell him. Why must he be told?"

  "Well," said Lord Thrapston, "it's just possible, Aggy, that he mayhave something to say to it, isn't it?"

  "I don't mind what he says," declared Agatha.

  "Eh? Why, I thought you were so fond of him."

  "So I am."

  "And as you're going to marry him

  "I never said I was going to marry him. I only said he might be engagedto me, if he liked."

  "Oho! So this young Merceron----"

  "Not at all, grandpapa. Oh, I do wish somebody would help me!"

  Lord Thrapston rose from his seat.

  "You must do what you like," he said. "I'm going to tell Calder."

  "Oh, why?"

  "Because," he answered, "I'm a man of honor."

  Before the impressive invocation of her grandfather's one religion,Agatha's opposition collapsed.

  "I suppose he must be told," she admitted mournfully. "I expect he'llnever speak to me again, and I'm sure Mr. Merceron won't;" and she saton the footstool, the picture of dejection.

  Lord Thrapston was moved to enunciate a solemn truth.

  "Aggy," said he, shaking his finger at her, "in this world you can'thave your fun for nothing." But then he spoilt it by addingregretfully, "More's the pity!" and off he hobbled to the club, intenton finding Calder Wentworth.

  For some time after he wen
t, Agatha sat on her stool in deep thought.Then she rose, sat down at the writing-table, took a pen, and began tobite the end of it. At last she started to write:

  "I don't know whether I ought to write or not, but I must tell you howit happened. Oh, don't think too badly of me! I came down just becauseI had heard so much about the Court and I wanted to see it, and I cameas I did with Nettie Wallace just for fun. I never meant to say I was adress-maker, you know; but people would ask questions and I had to saysomething. I never, never thought of you. I thought you were aboutfifteen. And you know--oh, you must know--that I met you quite byaccident, and was just as surprised as you were. And the rest was allyour fault. I didn't want to come again; you know I refused ever somany times; and you promised you wouldn't come if I came, and then youdid come. It was really all your fault. And I'm very, very sorry, andyou must please try to forgive me, dear Mr. Merceron, and not think mea very wicked girl. I had no idea of coming every evening, but youpersuaded me. You know you persuaded me. And how could I tell you I wasengaged? You know you never asked me. I would have told you if you had.I am telling Mr. Wentworth all about it, and I don't think you ought tohave persuaded me to meet you as you did. It wasn't really kind or niceof you, was it? Because, of course, I'm not very old, and I don't knowmuch about the world, and I never thought of all the horrid thingspeople would say. Do, please, keep this quite a secret. I felt I mustwrite you just a line. I wonder what you're thinking about me, orwhether you're thinking about me at all. You must never think of meagain. I am very, very unhappy, and I do most earnestly hope, dear Mr.Merceron, that I have not made you unhappy. We were both very much toblame, weren't we? But we slipped into it without knowing. Good-by. Idon't think I shall ever forget the dear old Pool, and the temple,and--the rest. But you must please forget me and forgive me. I am verymiserable about it and about everything. I think we had better not knoweach other any more, so please don't answer this. Just put it in thefire and think no more about it or me. I wanted to tell you all thiswhen I saw you to-day, but I couldn't. Good-by. Why did we ever meet?"

  "Agatha Glyn."

  She read this rather confused composition over twice, growing moresorry for herself each time. Then she put it in an envelope, addressedit to Charlie, looked out Uncle Van in the Directory, and sent it undercover to his residence. Then she went and lay down on the hearth-rug,and began to cry, and through her tears she said aloud to herself,

  "I wonder whether he'll write or come."

  Because it seemed to her entirely impossible that, in spite of herprayer, he should put the letter in the fire and let her go. Surely hetoo remembered the dear old Pool, and the temple, and--the rest!