Part 24 (1/2)

Rayner glanced round furtively for his wife, and presently descried Mark Cheveril in earnest conversation with another civilian.

”So far good,” he muttered, ”he at least is not taking advantage of my absence to enjoy himself with this wife of mine whom Mr. Worsley places on such a pedestal!”

But after he had gazed out from his corner a little longer, he perceived a combination which aroused his anger.

On one of the sofas placed about for tired guests not far from where Mark stood, sat Hester, and by her side, his own now declared enemy, the Collector of Puranapore. Mr. Worsley was smiling as he talked, and his conversation was evidently pleasing, judging from Hester's look of interest and animation. The topic was, in fact, reminiscences of her uncle, who had been Felix Worsley's particular friend at Oxford.

Striding rapidly across the room, Rayner laid his hand on his wife's arm, saying sharply:

”Come along, Mrs. Rayner, our carriage stops the way.”

Hardly allowing her time even to bow a good-night to her companion, and himself ignoring his presence, he hurried her away, keeping his hold on her arm till she reached the door of the cloak-room.

”Alfred, why were you so rude?” asked Hester in dismay. ”Do you know it was Mr. Worsley, whom you wanted so much to meet, that I was talking to?”

”I knew it only too well, madam! Therefore it was I chivied you off as I did. Sorry I interrupted what seemed, judging from your appearance, a fascinating _tete-a-tete_, but a man must use his discretion where his own wife is concerned! Don't be in any hurry, I've got to summon the carriage yet,” he called, as Hester, dumb with shame and vexation, was disappearing into the cloak-room. ”I'll send and let you know when Mrs.

Rayner's carriage stops the way!” Then he added to himself: ”Meanwhile I want a little more champagne to steady my nerves after all this worry.”

CHAPTER XXIV.

A few weeks had elapsed since Alfred Rayner had spurned the searchlight which might have shown him some of the plague spots of his own heart.

They had proved very trying weeks in the house in Clive's Road. Hester was striving to be tactful and tender, but her husband's wayward outbursts of temper made things very hard for her, and even outsiders began to mark the change in her looks.

”The Madras climate is already beginning to tell on Mrs. Rayner! Her bloom has been short-lived, but I expect she will soon be carried off to the hills and get her good looks restored at Ooty,” were the remarks pa.s.sed from lip to lip, but none divined the true cause of the young wife's weary mien.

In official circles the yearly migration to the hills had already begun.

The Governor and his suite had departed, and the constant succession of gaieties were over for the season. This indeed proved a relief to Hester, but it threw her husband more on his own resources, which was threatening to prove disastrous. He now habitually lounged at the Club and frequented card-playing resorts, returning late, often morose and self-accusing. His moods, whatever they were, always reacted on his wife, who was indeed learning patience through suffering.

One evening, however, he came home with an air of buoyancy which was now very unusual to him. He had hardly alighted from his mail-phaeton when he hurried to Hester, saying eagerly:

”I've got a project to unfold, my dear! What do you say to a jaunt to Calcutta? You're looking pale. It is warming up here in this southern hole. Three days at sea will do you a world of good, not to speak of a jolly holiday in Calcutta!”

”But, Alfred, this is surely all very sudden! Are you really thinking of a voyage all the way to Calcutta?” faltered Hester, whose breath was almost taken away by her husband's eagerness.

”Of course I am, and do you suppose I'd leave you all alone here? The trip will do you ever so much good--break the monotony that creeps over one like a fungus in this humdrum place. I've just written to accept Melford's invitation, so there's no drawing back now. You remember he brought out his bride the steamer after ours? It's some weeks since he wrote asking us to pay them a visit. It didn't seem to me possible then, but I've made up my mind to take the step now. The truth is, I have a desire to interview the reigning partner of my father's old firm, Truelove Brothers. My allowance comes to me with exemplary regularity, it is true, but it may be they owe me a much larger sum than I get. At all events, being a minor no longer, it's high time I should be investigating these matters for myself. So pack up, my darling, and let's have a second honeymoon on the ocean's breast!”

The proposal had many attractions for Hester. Not that she resented the alleged monotony of life on the plains of India as some around her were continually complaining they did, but truly there had been a monotony of jars and frets in her intercourse with her husband of late, and she longed to break the cruel spell. He was looking ill and haggard, perhaps the change of scene and the contact with old acquaintances might help him; and she also looked forward to seeing the great city with its historical a.s.sociations.

With renewed hope she set about preparations for the journey. Soon all the household at Clive's Road were sharing the exciting news that Dorai and Dosani were going on a holiday, and the ayah and the dressing boy were to accompany their master and mistress. Hester had written to Mrs.

Fellowes to tell her of the pending departure, and all preparations were well advanced when her husband, returning on the following evening at a late hour, announced with hesitating mien that he feared the sea journey must be given up, that he was obliged for business reasons to include Bombay in his trip, and five days in the train, which was then the length of the journey, was unthinkable for such a frail creature as she was. Moreover, he had that day met a friend whom he desired, also for business reasons, to have as his companion, and he being a bachelor preferred to travel _en garcon_. This they could do much more cheaply than if they ”were hum-bugged by wives,” as his friend elegantly expressed it.

So it came about that Hester's quick hope came to a sudden end. For a little she felt keen disappointment, enhanced by the knowledge that in her husband's change of plans there was a large element of wilful selfishness. She accepted the decision without a murmuring word, and felt almost surprised to perceive the strain of penitence which marked his manner as she cheerfully busied herself in making all preparations for his journey.

”I don't half like leaving you alone like this,” he remarked on the morning of his departure. ”I've been thinking of a nice plan for you.

Suppose you write to Mrs. Fellowes and suggest a visit to her!”

Hester, however, declined to fall in with the proposal, a.s.suring her husband that she would find plenty to occupy her during her solitary weeks. But on the same afternoon when Mrs. Fellowes called to say farewell to her friend, and found to her astonishment that the hoped-for holiday was abandoned as far as Hester was concerned, she at once insisted that she should take up her abode at Royapooram during her husband's absence. Thither Hester went on the day after Mr. Rayner's departure to find rest and solace in the companions.h.i.+p of these good friends.

Alfred Rayner's purpose in going to Calcutta was not very definite in his own mind. He looked on it in the light of an experiment--a gamble.