Part 36 (1/2)
A very simple wish, which went right to Duncan Leslie's heart, and set him thinking so deeply that for the rest of his visit he was silent, and almost constrained--a state which Madelaine noted as she rose.
”Must you go so soon, dear?” said Louise consciously, for a terrible thought crossed her mind, and sent the blood surging to her cheeks-- Madelaine was scheming to leave her and the visitor alone.
”Yes; they will be expecting me back,” said Madelaine, smiling as she grasped her friend's thoughts; and then to herself, ”Oh, you stupid fellow!” For Leslie rose at once.
”And I must be going too. Let's see, I am walking your way, Miss Van Heldre. May I see you home?”
”I--”
”Yes, do, Mr Leslie,” said Louise quietly.
”Ah! I will,” he said hastily. ”I want a chat with your father, too.”
Madelaine would have avoided the escort, but she could only have done this at the expense of making a fuss; so merely said ”Very well;” and went off with Louise to put on her hat and mantle, leaving Leslie alone with his host, who was seated by the window with a watchmaker's gla.s.s in his eye, making use of the remaining light for the study of some wonderful marine form.
”She would give anything to see her brother settled down,” said Leslie to himself, over and over again. ”Well, why not?”
Five minutes later he and Madelaine were going along the main street, with Louise watching them from behind her father's chair, and wondering why she did not feel so happy as she did half an hour before; and Aunt Marguerite gazing from her open window.
”Ah!” said the old lady; ”that's better. Birds of a feather do flock together, after all.”
But the flocking pair had no such thoughts as those with which they were given credit, for directly they were outside, Duncan Leslie set Madelaine's heart beating by his first words.
”Look here,” he said, ”I want to take you into my counsel, Miss Van Heldre, because you have so much sound common-sense.”
”Is that meant for a compliment, Mr Leslie?”
”No; I never pay compliments. Look here,” he said bluntly, ”you take an interest in Harry Vine.”
Madelaine was silent.
”That means yes,” said Leslie. ”Now to be perfectly plain with you, Miss Van Heldre, so do I; and I want to serve him if I can.”
”Yes?” said Madelaine, growing more deeply interested.
”Yes, it is--as the sailors say. Now it's very plain that he is not contented where he is.”
”I'm afraid not.”
”What do you say to this?--I will not be a sham--I want to serve him for reasons which I dare say you guess; reasons of which I am not in the least ashamed. Now what do you think of this? How would he be with me?”
Madelaine flushed with pleasure.
”I cannot say. Is this a sudden resolve?”
”Quite. I never thought of such a thing till I went there.”
”Then take time to think it over, Mr Leslie.”
”Good advice; but it is a thing that requires very little thought. I cannot say what arrangements I should make--that would require consideration--but I should not tie him to a desk. He would have the overlooking of a lot of men, and I should try to make him as happy as I could.”