Part 58 (1/2)
”What are you going to ask her to do?” Meg did not know the pain her words had given him; he spoke huskily.
”She's going to advise me what to do.” Meg raised herself from her reclining position. ”She will help me, if Michael's ill, Freddy.”
”I don't suppose he is--I think we'd have heard.”
”I think that's why we haven't heard,” Margaret said quickly.
Freddy remained silent. He thought otherwise. He had a man's knowledge of men. If Millicent Mervill was with him, he did not for one moment believe that even Mike would be proof against such temptation.
”If he is ill,” Meg said, ”the Iretons will find out. They are in such close touch with native life. Anyhow, they understood Mike and I want to see them.”
Meg's last words were a little cry. Freddy could only feel pity for her, although her words stung him. She must actually go from him to strangers for the sympathy she needed.
”Well, I won't stop you, but I think it's a pity. Whatever made you think of such a thing?”
”The thing that you call inspiration, chum--I know another name for it now.”
Freddy looked amazed; Meg had absorbed so many of Mike's strange ideas.
”I don't know Ireton,” he said. His voice had grown colder.
”He married a Syrian--you wouldn't. The Lamptons don't do that sort of thing.”
Freddy kept his temper, and the moment after Meg had said the words she felt ashamed, disgraced.
”I'm sorry, chum.” She spoke gently. ”It's my tongue that says these hateful things, not my heart. Forgive me, like a dear.”
”All right, old girl.” Freddy had never told his sister that he had refused the hospitality and cut himself off from the friends.h.i.+p of more than two English families, residents in Cairo, because they had taken a prominent part in the outcasting of Michael Ireton from English society when he had married Hada.s.sah Lekejian. He knew that Margaret had spoken the words hastily and unthinkingly. When Meg's nerves were on edge was the only time she was ever cross and out of temper. ”The Iretons are delightful people. If I'd known Ireton when he was a bachelor, I should have visited them after his marriage, but I didn't, and I haven't much time for paying society calls. Besides, it might have looked like patronizing them. The way they were treated by some of the English out here was so abominable that one had to be jolly careful. Ireton never minded a sc.r.a.p--he's too big to care for the social rot that goes on out here, but all the same, I didn't like to make a point of calling. I'm a digger, Meg, not a resident with a house to invite people to.”
”From what Mike told me, they must be the most delightful people. I can't imagine Hada.s.sah snubbing me if I went to see her, can you?”
”I don't suppose she would. What will you say to her? It's a rum idea.” Freddy became meditative.
”I don't know, but whatever one arranges to say on such occasions is just the thing one doesn't say. The atmosphere will suggest the words--it always does with me. I've never yet said the things I planned to say. Have you?”
”Scarcely ever, but it might be well to think things out.” Freddy disliked the idea of confiding family secrets to strangers. ”When do you think of going?”
”When you leave here, I can go straight to Cairo. It will be cooler there. I don't know Cairo--don't forget, I've never seen even the Pyramids.”
”And when do you mean to go home? The season's getting on.”
”I don't know. It all depends on what news I can gather, or if a letter comes. I can easily stay in Cairo until I hear. You won't object to that?”
”No. It's beastly hot here, by Jove!” Freddy poured himself out a lemon-squash and drank it off. ”I'm not sorry it's time to go home.”
”I don't feel the heat very much--the nights keep pretty cool.”
”You're looking f.a.gged, all the same.”
”Oh, I'm all right--it's anxiety that kills. If only I was certain that he wasn't ill, Freddy!”