CHAPTER XIV
Sir Henry was obviously not in the best of tempers. For a mild-manneredand easy-going man, his expression was scarcely normal.
"That fellow was making love to you," he said bluntly, as soon as thedoor was closed behind Lessingham.
Philippa looked up at her husband with an air of pleasant candour.
"He was doing it very nicely, too," she admitted.
"You mean to say that you let him?"
"I listened to what he had to say," she confessed. "It didn't occur toyou, I suppose," her husband remarked, with somewhat strained sarcasm,"that you were another man's wife?"
"I am doing my best to forget that fact," Philippa reminded him.
"I see! And he is to help you?"
"Possibly."
Sir Henry's irritation was fast merging into anger.
"I shall turn the fellow out of the house," he declared.
Philippa shrugged her shoulders.
"Why don't you?"
He seated himself on the couch by his wife's side. "Look here, Philippa,don't let's wrangle," he begged. "I'm afraid you'll have to make up yourmind to see a good deal less of your friend Lessingham, anyway."
Philippa's brows were knitted. She was conscious of a vague uneasiness.
"Really? And why?"
"For one thing," her husband explained, "because I don't intend to havehim hanging about my house during my absence."
"The best way to prevent that would be not to go away," Philippasuggested.
"Well, in all probability," he announced guardedly, "I am not going awayagain--at least not just yet."
Philippa's manner suddenly changed. She laid down her work. Her handrested lightly upon her husband's shoulder.
"You mean that you are going to give up those horrible fishingexcursions of yours?"
"For the present I am," he assured her.
"And are you going to do something--some work, I mean?" she askedbreathlessly.
"For the immediate present I am going to stay at home and look afteryou," he replied.
Philippa's face fell. Her manner became notably colder.
"You are very wise," she declared. "Mr. Lessingham is a most fascinatingperson. We are all half in love with him--even Helen."
"The fellow must have a way with him," Sir Henry conceded grudgingly."As a rule the people here are not over-keen on strangers, unless theyhave immediate connections in the neighbourhood. Even Griffiths, whosince they made him Commandant, is a man of many suspicions, seemsinclined to accept him."
"Captain Griffiths dined here the other night," Philippa remarked, "andI noticed that he and Mr. Lessingham seemed to get on very well."
"The fellow's all right in his way, no doubt," Sir Henry began.
"Of course he is," Philippa interrupted. "Helen likes him quite as muchas I do."
"Does he make love to Helen, too?" Sir Henry ventured.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Philippa retorted. "He isn't that sort of aman at all. If he has made love to me, he has done so because I haveencouraged him, and if I have encouraged him, it is your fault."
Sir Henry, with an impatient exclamation, rose from his place and took acigarette from an open box.
"Quite time I stayed at home, I can see. All the same, the fellow'srather a puzzle. I can't help wondering how he succeeded in makingsuch an easy conquest of a lady who has scarcely been notorious for herflirtations, and a young woman who is madly in love with another man. Hehasn't--"
"Hasn't what?"
"He hasn't," Sir Henry continued, blowing out the match which hehad been holding to his cigarette and throwing it away, "been in theposition of being able to render you or Helen any service, has he?"
"I don't understand you," Philippa replied, a little uneasily.
"There's nothing to understand," Sir Henry went on. "I was simply tryingto find some explanation for his veni, vidi, vici."
"I don't think you need go any further than the fact," Philippaobserved, "that he is well-bred, charming and companionable."
"Incidentally," Sir Henry queried, "do you happen to have come acrossany one here who ever heard of him before?"
"I don't remember any one," Philippa replied. "He was at college withRichard, you know."
Sir Henry nodded.
"Of course, that's a wonderful introduction to you and Helen," headmitted. "And by-the-by, that reminds me," he went on, "I never sawsuch a change in two women in my life, as in you and Helen. A few weeksago you were fretting yourselves to death about Dick. Now you don't seemto mention him, you both of you look as though you hadn't a care in theworld, and yet you say you haven't heard from him. Upon my word, this isgetting to be a house of mysteries!"
"The only mystery in it that I can see, is you, Henry," she declared.
"Me?" he protested. "I'm one of the simplest-minded fellows alive. Whatis there mysterious about me?"
"Your ignominious life," was the cold reply.
"Jove, I got it that time!" he groaned,--"got it in the neck! But didn'tI tell you just now that I was turning over a new leaf?"
"Then prove it," Philippa pleaded. "Let me write to Rayton and beg himto use his influence to get you something to do. I am sure you would behappier, and I can't tell you what a difference it would make to me."
"It's that indoor work I couldn't stick, old thing," he confided. "Youknow, they're saying all the time it's a young man's war. They'd make metake some one's place at home behind a desk."
"But even if they did," she protested, "even if they put you in a coalcellar, wouldn't you be happier to feel that you were helping yourcountry? Wouldn't you be glad to know that I was happier?"
Sir Henry made a wry face.
"It seems to me that your outlook is a trifle superficial, dear," hegrumbled. "However--now what the dickens is the matter?"
The door had been opened by Mills, with his usual smoothness, but JimmyDumble, out of breath and excited, pushed his way into the room.
"Hullo? What is it, Jimmy?" his patron demanded.
"Beg your pardon, sir," was the almost incoherent reply. "I've run allthe way up, and there's a rare wind blowing. There's one of our--ourtrawlers lying off the Point, and she's sent up three green and sixyellow balls."
"Whiting, by God!" Sir Henry exclaimed.
"Whiting!" Philippa repeated, in agonised disgust. "What does this mean,Henry?"
"It must be a shoal," her husband explained. "It means that we've got toget amongst them quick. Is the Ida down on the beach, Jimmy?"
"She there all right, sir," was the somewhat doubtful reply, "but us'llhave a rare job to get away, sir. That there nor'easter is blowing greatguns again and it's a cruel tide."
"We've got to get out somehow," Sir Henry declared. "Mills, my oilskinsand flask at once. I sha'n't change a thing, but you might bring acardigan jacket and the whisky and soda."
Mills withdrew, a little dazed. Philippa, whose fingers were clenchedtogether, found her tongue at last.
"Henry!" she exclaimed furiously.
"What is it, my dear?"
"Do you mean to tell me that after your promise," she continued, "afterwhat you have just said, you are starting out to-night for anotherfishing expedition?"
"Whiting, my dear," Sir Henry explained. "One can't possibly misswhiting. Where the devil are my keys?--Here they are. Now then."
He sat down before his desk, took some papers from the top drawer,rummaged about for a moment or two in another, and found what seemedto be a couple of charts in oilskin cases. All the time the wind wasshaking the windows, and a storm of rain was beating against the panes.
"Help yourself to whisky and soda, Jimmy," Sir Henry invited, as hebuttoned up his coat. "You'll need it all presently."
"I thank you kindly, sir," Jimmy replied. "I am thinking that we'll bothneed a drink before we're through this night."
He helped himself to a whisky and soda on the generous principle ofhalf and half. Philippa, who was watching her husband's preparationsindignantly, once m
ore found words.
"Henry, you are incorrigible!" she exclaimed. "Listen to me if youplease. I insist upon it."
Sir Henry turned a little impatiently towards her. "Philippa, I reallycan't stop now," he protested. "But you must! You shall!" she cried."You shall hear this much from me, at any rate, before you go. What Isaid the other day I repeat a thousandfold now."
Sir Henry glanced at Dumble and motioned his head towards the door. Thefisherman made an awkward exit.
"A thousandfold," Philippa repeated passionately. "You hear, Henry? I donot consider myself any more your wife. If I am here when you return, itwill be simply because I find it convenient. Your conduct is disgracefuland unmanly."
"My dear girl!" he remonstrated. "I may be back in twenty-four--possiblytwelve hours."
"It is a matter of indifference to me when you return," was the curtreply. "I have finished."
The door was thrown open.
"Your oilskins, sir, and flask," Mills announced, hurrying in, a littlebreathless. "You'll forgive my mentioning it, sir, but it scarcely seemsa fit night to leave home."
"Got to be done this once, Mills," his master replied, struggling intohis coat.
The young people from the billiard room suddenly streamed in. Nora, whowas still carrying her cue, gazed at her father in amazement.
"Why, where's Dad going?" she cried.
"It appears," Philippa explained sarcastically, "that a shoal of whitinghas arrived."
"Very uncertain fish, whiting," Sir Henry observed, "here to-day andgone to-morrow."
"You won't find it too easy getting off to-night, sir," Harrisonremarked doubtfully.
"Jimmy will see to that," was the confident reply. "I expect we shall beamongst them at daybreak. Good-by, everybody! Good-by, Philippa!"
His eyes sought his wife's in vain. She had turned towards Lessingham.
"You are not hurrying off, are you, Mr. Lessingham?" she asked. "I wantyou to show me that new Patience."
"I shall be delighted."
Sir Henry turned slowly away. For a moment his face darkened as his eyesmet Lessingham's. He seemed about to speak but changed his mind.
"Well, good-by, every one," he called out. "I shall be back beforemidnight if we don't get out."
"And if you do?" Nora cried.
"If we do, Heaven help the whiting!"
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