Part 32 (1/2)
”You certainly seemed to enjoy it,” says Sir Maurice with a cold smile, as he pa.s.ses her.
CHAPTER XVIII.
HOW t.i.tA GETS A SCOLDING, AND HOW SHE REBELS AND ACCUSES SIR MAURICE OF BREACH OF CONTRACT.
”Can I come in?”
Rylton's voice is a little curt as he knocks at his wife's door. It is not the door opening into the corridor outside, but the inner door that leads from her room to his, and to the dressing-room beyond.
”Yes, of course,” cries t.i.ta pleasantly.
She is just on the point of dismissing her maid for the night--the maid who has so little to do; no long hair to brush, only the soft little curly locks that cover her mistress's head. She has taken off t.i.ta's evening gown, and, now that the little locks have been carefully seen to, has taken off her dressing-gown also. It occurs to t.i.ta that she might as well take _herself_ off as well, and as soon as possible.
This thought makes her laugh.
”You can go now, Sarah,” says she to the maid, who loves her; ”and don't bring me my tea before eight to-morrow, because I'm as sleepy as sleepy can be.”
She nods kindly to the dismissed maid, and, going to the door where Rylton is presumably standing, lets him in.
”How early you are!” says she, thinking of the glories of the smoking-room below.
”How late you are!” returns he. ”I half fancied you would have been asleep by this time!”
”Oh, well, I soon shall be!” says she. ”I was just going to say my prayers as you came in; after that it won't take me a minute to get out of my clothes, and,” with a little laugh, ”into my bed.”
Her clothes, as she stands at present, are so becoming that it seems quite a pity that she should ever get out of them. Her neck and arms--soft and fair and round as a little child's--are s.h.i.+ning in the lamplight, and beneath them the exquisite lace petticoat she wears gives her the air of one who is just going to a fancy ball. It is short enough to show the perfect little feet and the slender ankles beneath it.
”How inhospitable of you to desert your friends so soon!” says she.
”Why, you never come up till two, do you?--at least, so you tell me.”
”You will catch cold if you stay like that,” says he.
It is a somewhat irrelevant remark; but, for the first time in all his knowledge of her, the tender charm that is her own becomes clear to him. It seems to him that she is a new being--one he has never seen before; and, with this fresh knowledge, his anger towards her grows stronger.
”I!--in this weather! Why, it is hardly chilly even yet, in spite of the rain; and, besides, I have this fire!” She catches his hand, and draws him towards the hearthrug. ”I am sure you have something to say to me,” says she. ”Come and sit by the fire, and tell me all about it.”
”It is nothing, really,” says Rylton, resisting her pretty efforts to push him into a luxurious lounging chair. ”It is only a question about your cousin.”
He leans his elbow on the chimney-piece, and looks down at her--a dainty fairy lying now in the bosom of some soft pink cus.h.i.+ons, with her legs crossed and her toes towards the fire. She has clasped her arms behind her head.
”About Minnie?”
”No.”
His heart hardens again. Is this duplicity on her part? How small, how innocent, how girlish, how--reluctantly this--beautiful she looks! and yet----
”About Tom, then?”