Part 65 (2/2)

”My father is angry at the present time,” said Bertie, looking up for a moment from his sketches, ”because I am not going to marry Mrs.

Bold. What can I say on the matter? It is true that I am not going to marry her. In the first place--”

”That is not true, sir,” said Dr. Stanhope, ”but I will not argue with you.”

”You were angry just this moment because I would not speak,” said Bertie, going on with a young Lookaloft.

”Give over drawing,” said Charlotte, going up to him and taking the paper from under his hand. The caricatures, however, she preserved and showed them afterwards to the friends of the Thornes, the Proudies, and De Courcys. Bertie, deprived of his occupation, threw himself back in his chair and waited further orders.

”I think it will certainly be for the best that Bertie should leave this at once; perhaps to-morrow,” said Charlotte; ”but pray, Papa, let us arrange some scheme together.”

”If he will leave this to-morrow, I will give him 10, and he shall be paid 5 a month by the banker at Carrara as long as he stays permanently in that place.”

”Well, sir, it won't be long,” said Bertie, ”for I shall be starved to death in about three months.”

”He must have marble to work with,” said Charlotte.

”I have plenty there in the studio to last me three months,” said Bertie. ”It will be no use attempting anything large in so limited a time--unless I do my own tombstone.”

Terms, however, were ultimately come to somewhat more liberal than those proposed, and the doctor was induced to shake hands with his son and bid him good night. Dr. Stanhope would not go up to tea, but had it brought to him in his study by his daughter.

But Bertie went upstairs and spent a pleasant evening. He finished the Lookalofts, greatly to the delight of his sisters, though the manner of portraying their _decollete_ dresses was not the most refined. Finding how matters were going, he by degrees allowed it to escape from him that he had not pressed his suit upon the widow in a very urgent way.

”I suppose, in point of fact, you never proposed at all?” said Charlotte.

”Oh, she understood that she might have me if she wished,” said he.

”And she didn't wish,” said the Signora.

”You have thrown me over in the most shameful manner,” said Charlotte. ”I suppose you told her all about my little plan?”

”Well, it came out somehow--at least the most of it.”

”There's an end of that alliance,” said Charlotte, ”but it doesn't matter much. I suppose we shall all be back at Como soon.”

”I am sure I hope so,” said the signora. ”I'm sick of the sight of black coats. If that Mr. Slope comes here any more, he'll be the death of me.”

”You've been the ruin of him, I think,” said Charlotte.

”And as for a second black-coated lover of mine, I am going to make a present of him to another lady with most singular disinterestedness.”

The next day, true to his promise, Bertie packed up and went off by the 4.30 P.M. train, with 20 in his pocket, bound for the marble quarries of Carrara. And so he disappears from our scene.

At twelve o'clock on the day following that on which Bertie went, Mrs. Bold, true also to her word, knocked at Dr. Stanhope's door with a timid hand and palpitating heart. She was at once shown up to the back drawing-room, the folding doors of which were closed, so that in visiting the signora Eleanor was not necessarily thrown into any communion with those in the front room. As she went up the stairs, she saw none of the family and was so far saved much of the annoyance which she had dreaded.

”This is very kind of you, Mrs. Bold; very kind, after what has happened,” said the lady on the sofa with her sweetest smile.

”You wrote in such a strain that I could not but come to you.”

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