Part 43 (1/2)
CHAPTER XXIX
THE PARTING
At the breakfast-table the next morning, Riviere found a letter with an official seal awaiting him. It was a call to Nimes to give evidence in the coming trial of the peasant Crau. He was asked to be there on a date a few days later.
Olive was already waiting for him in the palm-lounge of the Quisisana when he reached there at ten-o'clock. She was smilingly gracious--had seemingly forgiven him his doubting of her word the evening before. They took a taxi to the nursing home, and on the way Olive stopped at a florist's to buy a bunch of tiger-lilies. Her choice of flower struck Riviere as very characteristic of her own temperament.
They received permission to visit the patient, and were shown to her room by a nurse.
”I have brought you a few flowers, dear,” said Olive.
Elaine murmured some words of thanks and felt the flowers to see what they might be. When she recognized them, they conveyed to her the same impression as they had done to Riviere. She drew her vase of white lilac nearer to her, and that trifling action seemed to Riviere as though she were calling upon him for protection.
”We've come to talk matters over calmly and dispa.s.sionately,” said Olive, taking the reins of conversation into her own hands. ”My husband and myself are both anxious to make some arrangement which will be for your happiness. Clifford feels, and I entirely agree with him, that he's under a distinct obligation to you.”
”There is no obligation,” answered Elaine.
”It's very generous of you to say so, but both Clifford and I feel it deeply. Your livelihood has been taken away from you, and it's our bare duty to make you some form of compensation. The suggestion of letting it come through me would be a very suitable way of solving a delicate problem.” She turned to her husband. ”Don't you think so, Clifford?”
”I want to hear what Miss Verney has to say.”
”Very well.”
Elaine paused before she replied, so that her words might carry a fuller significance. ”Mrs Matheson,” she said, ”I don't wish to accept anything from you.”
”That means, I take it, that you are ready to accept from my husband?”
”Accept what?”
”Well, financial a.s.sistance.”
”No.”
”Then what are you going to do when you leave the home?”
”I shall return to my relations until I've learnt a new trade and can manage to support myself.”
”But surely you will let us help you with the expenses of the first few months?”
”I prefer not.”
”Clifford, can't you persuade Miss Verney?”
”I don't wish to persuade her.”
Olive tried a fresh avenue of attack. ”Very well, then, let's leave that point. What I want to say now is still more delicate. I don't want to wound your feelings, but now that all three of us are together the matter ought to be discussed calmly and dispa.s.sionately and settled once and for all.”
Riviere interrupted. ”You promised me that this matter should not be mentioned.”
”Promised?”