第28章

Thetoneofhisvoicewasevidentlyenough。LadyAnstruthersturnedwithanunmistakablestart。Theroseliningofherparasolceasedtowarmhercolour。Infact，theparasolitselfsteppedaside，andshestoodwithablank，stiff，whiteface。

"MydearRosalie，"saidSirNigel，goingtowardsher。

"Youdon’tlookverygladtoseeme。"

Hebentandkissedherquitewiththeairofadevotedhusband。Knowingwhatthecaressmeant，andseeingRosy’sfaceasshesubmittedtoit，Bettyfeltrathercold。AftertheconjugalgreetingheturnedtoUghtred。

"Youlookremarkablywell，"hesaid。

Bettycameforward。

"Wemetinthepark，Rosy，"sheexplained。"Wehavebeentalkingtoeachotherforhalfanhour。"

TheatmospherewhichhadsurroundedherduringthelastthreemonthshaddonemuchforLadyAnstruthers’nerves。

Shehadthepowertorecoverherself。SirNigelhimselfsawthiswhenshespoke。

"IwasstartledbecauseIwasnotexpectingtoseeyou，"shesaid。"IthoughtyouwerestillontheRiviera。Ihopeyouhadapleasantjourneyhome。"

"Ihadanextraordinarilypleasantsurpriseinfindingyoursisterhere，"heanswered。Andtheywentintothehouse。

Indescendingthestaircaseonhiswaytothedrawing—roombeforedinner，SirNigelglancedabouthimwithinterestedcuriosity。Ifthevillagehadbeenputinorder，somethingmorehadbeendonehere。Rememberingthewornrugsandthebald—

headedtiger，heliftedhisbrows。Toleaveone’shouseinastateofresigneddilapidationandreturntofinditfilledwithallsuchthingsascomfortcombinedwithexcellenttastemightdemand，wasanenliveningexperience——orwouldhavebeensoundersomecircumstances。Asmattersstood，perhaps，hemighthavefeltbetterpleasedifthingshadbeenlesswelldone。Buttheywereverywelldone。Theyhadmanagedtoputthemselvesintherightinthisalso。Therichsobrietyofcolourandformleftnoopeningforsuperciliouscomment——whichwasaneatweaponitwasannoyingtoberobbedof。

Thedrawing—roomwasfresh，brightlycharming，andfullofflowers。Bettywasstandingbeforeanopenwindowwithhersister。Hiswife’sshoulders，heobservedatonce，hadabsolutelybeguntosuggestcontours。Atallevents，herbonesnolongerstuckout。Butonedidnotlookatone’swife’sshoulderswhenonecouldturnfromthemtoafairnessofvelvetandivory。"Youknow，"hesaid，approachingthem，"Ifindallthisveryamazing。Ihavebeenlookingoutofmywindowontothegardens。"

"ItisBettywhohasdoneitall，"saidRosy。

"Ididnotsuspectyouofdoingit，mydearRosalie，"smiling。

"WhenIsawBettystandingintheavenue，Iknewatoncethatitwasshewhohadmendedthechimney—potsinthevillageandrehungthegates。"

Forthepresent，atleast，itwasevidentthathemeanttobesufficientlyamiable。Atthedinnertablehewasconversationalandaskedmanyquestions，professinganaturalinterestinwhathadbeendone。Itwasnotdifficulttotalktoagirlwhoseeyesandshoulderscombinedthemselveswithaquickwitandapowertoattractwhichhereluctantlyownedhehadneverseenequalled。Hisreluctancearosefromthefactthatsuchapowercomplicatedmatters。Hemustbeonthedefensiveuntilheknewwhatshewasgoingtodo，whathemustdohimself，andwhatresultswereprobableorpossible。Hehadspenthislifeinintrigueofoneorderoranother。Heenjoyedoutwittingpeopleandratherpreferredtoattainanendbydeviouspaths。Hebeganeveryacquaintanceonthedefensive。

Hisargumentwasthatyouneverknewhowthingswouldturnout，consequently，itwasaswelltoconductone’sselfattheoutsetwiththediscreetforethoughtofamaninthepresenceofanenemy。HedidnotknowhowthingswouldturnoutinBetty’scase，anditwasalittleconfusingtofindone’sselfwatchingherwithasenseofexcitement。Hewouldhavepreferredtobecool——tobecold——andherealisedthathecouldnotkeephiseyesoffher。

"Iremember，withregret，"hesaidtoherlaterintheevening，"thatwhenyouwereachildwewereenemies。"

"Iamafraidwewere，"wasBetty’simpartialanswer。

"Iamsureitwasmyfault，"hesaid。"Prayforgetit。

Sinceyouhaveaccomplishedsuchwonders，willyounot，inthemorning，takemeabouttheplaceandexplaintomehowithasbeendone？"

WhenBettywenttoherroomshedismissedhermaidassoonaspossible，andsatforsometimealoneandwaiting。ShehadhadnoopportunitytospeaktoRosyinprivate，andshewassureshewouldcometoher。Inthecourseofhalfanhoursheheardaknockatthedoor。

Yes，itwasRosy，andhernewly—borncolourhadfledandleftherlookingdraggedagain。ShecameforwardanddroppedintoalowchairnearBetty，lettingherfacefallintoherhands。

"I’mverysorry，Betty，"shehalfwhispered，"butitisnouse。"

"Whatisnouse？"Bettyasked。

"Nothingisanyuse。Alltheseyearshavemademesuchacoward。IsupposeIalwayswasacoward，butintheolddaysthereneverwasanythingtobeafraidof。"

"Whatareyoumostafraidofnow？"

"Idon’tknow。Thatistheworst。IamafraidofHIM——

justofhimself——ofthelookinhiseyes——ofwhathemaybeplanningquietly。Mystrengthdiesawaywhenhecomesnearme。"

"Whathashesaidtoyou？"sheasked。

"Hecameintomydressing—roomandsatandtalked。Helookedaboutfromonethingtoanotherandpretendedtoadmireitallandcongratulatedme。Butthoughhedidnotsneeratwhathesaw，hiseyesweresneeringatme。Hetalkedaboutyou。Hesaidthatyouwereaverycleverwoman。Idon’tknowhowhemanagestoimplythataverycleverwomanissomethingcunninganddebased——butitmeansthatwhenhesaysit。

Itseemstoinsinuatethingswhichmakeonegrowhotallover。"

SheputoutahandandcaughtoneofBetty’s。

"Betty，Betty，"sheimplored。"Don’tmakehimangry。Don’t。"

"Iamnotgoingtobeginbymakinghimangry，"Bettysaid。"AndIdonotthinkhewilltrytomakemeangry——atfirst。"

"No，hewillnot，"criedRosalie。"And——andyourememberwhatItoldyouwhenfirstwetalkedabouthim？"

"Anddoyouremember，"wasBetty’sanswer，"whatIsaidtoyouwhenIfirstmetyouinthepark？IfweweretocabletoNewYorkthismoment，wecouldreceiveananswerinafewhours。"

"Hewouldnotletusdoit，"saidRosy。"Hewouldstopusinsomeway——ashestoppedmyletterstomother——ashestoppedmewhenItriedtorunaway。Oh，Betty，Iknowhimandyoudonot。"

"Ishallknowhimbettereveryday。ThatiswhatImustdo。Imustlearntoknowhim。Hesaidsomethingmoretoyouthanyouhavetoldme，Rosy。Whatwasit？"

"HewaiteduntilDetchamleftme，"LadyAnstruthersconfessed，morethanhalfreluctantly。"Andthenhegotuptogoaway，andstoodwithhishandsrestingonthechairback，andspoketomeinalow，queervoice。Hesaid，`Don’ttrytoplayanytricksonme，mygoodgirl——anddon’tletyoursistertrytoplayany。Youwouldbothhavereasontoregretit。’"

Shewasahalf—hypnotisedthing，andBetty，watchingherwithcuriousbuttendereyes，recognisedtheabnormality。

"Ah，ifIamacleverwoman，"shesaid，"heisacleverman。Heisbeginningtoseethathispowerisslippingaway。

ThatwaswhatG。Seldenwouldcall`bluff。’"

CHAPTERXXXI

NO，SHEWOULDNOT

SirNigeldidnotinviteRosalietoaccompanythem，whenthenextmorning，afterbreakfast，heremindedBettyofhissuggestionofthenightbefore，thatsheshouldwalkovertheplacewithhim，andshowhimwhathadbeendone。Hepreferredtomakehisstudyofhissister—in—lawundisturbed。

Therewasnodetailwhosesignificancehemissedastheywentabouttogether。Hehadkeeneyesandwasaquitesufficientlypracticalpersononsuchmattersasconcernedhisowninterests。Inthiscaseitwastohisinteresttomakeuphismindastowhathemightgainorlosebytheappearanceofhiswife’sfamily。Hedidnotmeantolose——ifitcouldbehelped——

anythingeitherofpersonalimportanceormaterialbenefit。Anditcouldonlybehelpedbyhiscomprehendingclearlywhathehadtodealwith。Bettywas，atpresent，thechieffactorinthesituation，andhewassufficientlyastutetoseethatshemightnotbeeasytoread。Hispersonaltheoriesconcerningwomenpresentedtohimtwoorthreeeffectivewaysof

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