Part 41 (1/2)
”From girls who lead the sheltered life, girls who don't work ... girls of our own cla.s.s.”
”I don't know,” Miles said thoughtfully, ”that I should say Pen, for instance, lives exactly a _sheltered_ life, should you?”
”Pen is married.”
”Yes, but before she was married ... eh, Aunt Mary? Be truthful, now.”
Miles held his aunt's arm tightly within his, and he stooped and looked into her face.
”And does the fact that Pen is married explain or excuse her deplorable taste in men? Which does it do, Aunt Mary? Speak up, now.”
Lady Mary laughed. ”I'm not here to defend Pen; I'm here to get your answer as to whether you think it's ... quite fair to make that little Miss Morton conspicuous by running after her and making her the talk of the entire county, for that's what you're doing.”
”What good old Pen has been telling you I'm doing, I suppose.”
”I had my own doubts about it without any help from Pen ... but she said Alec Pottinger had been talking....”
”Pottinger's an a.s.s.”
”He doesn't talk _much_, anyhow, Miles, and she felt if _he_ said anything....”
”Look here, Aunt Mary, how's a chap to go courting seriously if he doesn't run after a girl?... he can't work it from a distance ... not unless he's one of those poet chaps, and puts letters in hollow trees and so on. And you don't seem to have provided any hollow trees about here.”
”Courting ... seriously!” Lady Mary repeated with real horror in her tones. ”Oh, Miles, you can't mean that!”
”Surely you'd not prefer I meant the other thing?”
”But, Miles dear, think!”
”I have thought, and I've thought it out.”
”You mean you want to _marry_ her?”
Lady Mary spoke in an awed whisper.
”Just exactly that, and I don't care who knows it; but I'm not at all sure she wants to marry me ... that's why I don't want to rush my fences and get turned down. I'm a heavy chap to risk a fall, Aunt Mary.”
”Oh, Miles! this is worse than anything Pen even dreamt of.”
”What is? If you mean that she probably won't have me--I'm with you.”
”Of course she'd jump at you--any girl would.... But a little nursemaid!”
”Come now, Aunt Mary, you know very well she's just as good as I am; better, probably, for she's got no pies nor starch in her pedigree. Her father's a Major and her mother was of quite good family--and she's got lots of rich, stingy relations ... and she doesn't sponge on 'em. What's the matter with her?”
”Please don't do anything in a hurry, dear Miles.”
”I shan't, if you and Pen and the blessed 'county,' with its criticism and gossip, don't drive me into it ... but the very first word you either say or repeat to me against Miss Morton, off I go to her and to the old Major.... So now we understand each other, Aunt Mary--eh?”