Part 37 (2/2)
”Yes, indeed I have.”
”Beastly unlucky, isn't it?”
”What's that?”
”But I _am_ unlucky.”
”_Unlucky_, Mr. Kenion!” Mrs. Marsden had flushed; and her face plainly expressed the anger and contempt that she felt.
”No one can say I'm to blame,” Kenion went on gloomily and grumblingly.
”I'd have given fifty pounds to prevent its happening. It wasn't _my_ fault. I knew she was as clever as a cat. I thought she _couldn't_ make a mistake.”
”Mr. Kenion,” said Mrs. Marsden hotly, ”if you aren't ashamed to speak like this, I am ashamed to listen to you.”
”Eh--what?”
”Where is Enid?” And she moved towards the door. ”I think your att.i.tude is unmanly--mean--and _despicable_; and I wish--yes, I wish Enid's child was going to have a better father.”
”Eh--what?”
”If you had a spark of proper feeling, you'd rejoice, you'd thank G.o.d that this--this great blessing was coming to her.”
Kenion suddenly bent his thin back, and became completely doubled up with a fit of cackling laughter.
”It's too comic,” he spluttered. ”Best thing I ever heard--Ought to be sent to _Punch_!”
”If you are joking, Mr. Kenion, I'm sorry for your ideas of fun.”
”No. No--don't be angry. You'll laugh when you see the joke. Of course you”--and again his own laughter interrupted him--”you--you were talking about Enid's baby.... Well, _I_ was talking about Mrs. Bulford's mare.”
Then he explained the disaster that had befallen them. A very valuable animal, the property of a friend, had been placed in his charge to train it for a point-to-point race; and this morning it had broken its back over one of the artificial jumps.
”And we were all so upset--Enid has been crying about it--that I sent you a telegram, telling you what had happened, and asking you not to come out to-day. But you never got it really?”
”No, it must have arrived after I started.”
”Well, I'm glad you've come--for you have given me a good laugh. Though Heaven knows”--and he became gloomy again--”it isn't a laughing matter.
I wonder I was able to laugh.”
Then Enid came into the room. There were red rims round her eyes, and her nose seemed swollen; evidently she had shed many tears.
”Mother dear, isn't this dreadful?”
”Yes, dear.”
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