Part 35 (1/2)

”Yes,” with a snap.

”He hasn't asked me.”

The innocent artlessness of the tone, the look of absolute and childlike simplicity in the blue eyes as the answer came tranquilly forth, would have sent a bystander into convulsions. It sent Mrs Bateman out of the room in a whirlwind of wrath. After her went the offender.

”Don't get mad, Susie. I can't help being a tease, can I? I was built that way. Come along out, and we'll drop in on some other frightened and beleaguered female, and swap camp and laager gossip.”

But the other refused. She was seriously put out, she said, and never felt less like going anywhere. So Nidia, who understood her--at times, somewhat crusty--friend thoroughly, and managed her accordingly, put on her hat and went alone.

To do her justice, Mrs Bateman, from her point of view, was not without cause for concern. Nidia's father--she had lost her mother--was the senior partner of an exceedingly wealthy firm of s.h.i.+powners, and had certainly a more brilliant future planned for his only and idolised daughter than an alliance with a penniless n.o.body; for so, with a certain spiteful emphasis, Mrs Bateman delighted to designate the object of her abhorrence. The girl had been allowed to accompany her only after long and much-expressed opposition on the paternal side, and now she felt simply weighted down with responsibility. And this was the way in which she had fulfilled her trust!

But fortune seemed inclined to favour her to-day. Scarcely had Nidia been gone ten minutes, than there came a knock at the door of their diminutive abode. John Ames himself! Susie Bateman snorted like the metaphoric warhorse, for she scented battle. She was about to indulge this obnoxious person with a very considerable fragment of her mind.

Nevertheless she welcomed him pleasantly--almost too pleasantly, thus overdoing the part. But she had no intention of sending him off at a tangent, as she knew full well would be the result of letting him know that Nidia was not in.

Observing him keenly, she noted the quick shade of disappointment as he became alive to the fact that the room was empty save for herself. She knew exactly what was pa.s.sing in his mind, and found a cruel enjoyment in observing every sign of expectation evoked by this or that sound outside, for she had not told him that Nidia was out, and knew that he was still hoping she might only be in another room. At length he enquired.

”Miss Commerell has gone out,” she replied. ”She went round to see some people; I didn't even hear who they were. She won't be back till lunch-time, if then; and perhaps it is just as well, Mr Ames, for I have been wanting to have a little quiet conversation with you. Now we can have it.”

”Yes?” he said enquiringly. But tranquil as the tone was, she had not failed to note the scarcely perceptible start of conscious dismay evoked by the announcement. Yet now it had come to the point, she for her part hardly knew how to begin, and he was not going to help her. Besides, his tranquil self-possession was somewhat disconcerting. However, she started in at it, characteristically, headlong.

”Now, you must not be angry with me, Mr Ames; but I want to talk to you as a woman of the world to a man of the world. In short, about Miss Commerell.”

”Such a subject cannot but be interesting, Mrs Bateman.”

”She is under my charge, you know.”

”Yes. You are to be congratulated on the delightful nature of such a charge.”

”But you admit that it is one which entails a grave responsibility?”

”The gravest responsibility,” he replied.

”Well, then, the gravity of that responsibility must be my excuse for what I am about to say. Don't you think you come here rather often?”

She was exasperated by his imperturbability. She could see he meant fencing, wherefore she clubbed him without further preliminary.

”Do I?” he answered, in the same even tone.

She could hardly restrain her wrath, and her voice took a higher pitch.

”Do you?” she echoed somewhat stupidly, because fast losing her temper.

”Well, when I tell you people are beginning to talk about it?”

”Yes; they would be sure to do that. You see, they have so little to talk about, all crowded up together here.”

She was taken wildly aback. The unparalleled impudence of the man, taking everything for granted in this way!

”Well, I can't have Miss Commerell talked about, and I won't. And that's all about it.”

”Oh, it's about Miss Commerell they are talking? I understood you to mean it was about my coming here.”