Part 22 (1/2)

That afternoon she told Bobby Trench that she could not marry him.

”I'm very sorry,” she said. ”I do like you, Bobby, and I hope we shall always be friends; but I don't love you the least little bit, and I'm quite sure now that one ought not to marry anyone one doesn't love.”

BOOK III

CHAPTER I

THE SQUIRE CONFRONTED

The lilacs in the station-yard at Kencote were blossoming again. Again the train crawled over the sun-dappled meadows, and Joan was on the platform to meet it. This time it was Humphrey who got out of it.

”Hullo!” she said brightly. ”They've sent the luggage-cart. I thought you'd like to walk.”

He had hardly smiled when she greeted him, and now frowned. ”I wanted to see the Governor,” he said. ”However, it won't take long to walk.

Come along.”

”How's Susan?” Joan asked as they set out.

”All right,” said Humphrey shortly. ”She's gone to her people.”

He cleared the preoccupation from his face, and looked at his sister.

”You look blooming,” he said. ”Do you miss Nancy?”

”Yes, awfully,” she said, ”but I'm going to stay with them the moment they get back. I hear from her every day. They're having a gorgeous time. They are going to take me abroad with them next year. I shall love it.”

”I've got a piece of news for you,” said Humphrey after a pause.

”Bobby Trench is engaged to be married.”

A flush crept over her face and died away again before she said, ”That's rather sudden, isn't it? Who is he going to marry?”

”Lady Bertha Willersley. Can't say I admire his taste much. She's amusing enough for a time, but I should think she'd tire you to death if you had too much of her. She can't be much younger than he is, either. She's been about almost ever since I can remember.”

”Oh, well,” said Joan, with an embarra.s.sed laugh, ”it shows I was right.”

”I'm not sure that it doesn't,” Humphrey admitted. ”Bobby has always been a friend of mine, and I like him well enough; but he _is_ rather a rotter. I think you're pretty well out of it, Joan.”

”I'm sure I am,” she said. ”But you didn't say so at the time.”

”Poor old girl,” he said. ”We gave you rather a bad time, didn't we?

But you did lead him on a bit, didn't you?”

”I didn't,” said Joan indignantly. ”I always said I wouldn't have him.”

”Well, he told me himself that you would have said 'yes' one evening if somebody hadn't come in.”

She was silent.