Part 32 (1/2)

She raised herself from the heap of stones and with trembling legs hurried towards ”The Towers.” She must tell Mary at once.

She found Lady Blore seated at her writing-table in the drawing-room, which was choked by the eastern and j.a.panese impedimenta, the draperies, the krises, the metal bowls, the ivory boxes, which an Indian career seems so inevitably to entail. Sir John had brought back crates of the kind of foreign _bric-a-brac_ cheap imitations of which throng London shop windows. The little entrance hall was stuffy with skins. Horned skulls garnished the walls, pleading silently for decent burial. Even the rugs had once been bears.

Aunt Mary was bored with her drawing-room, which looked like a stall at a bazaar, but, to her credit be it said, that she had never made any change in it, except to remove a bra.s.s idol from the writing-table, at which she was at this moment sitting.

By one of those sudden instincts which make people like Aunt Aggie the despair of those with whom they live, she instantaneously conceived the idea (for no reason except that she was thinking of her own letter) that her sister was at that moment writing to Lord Lossiemouth.

She ”had a feeling” that this was the case. The feeling became in a second a rooted conviction. The butler came in, arranged an uncomfortable Indian table, placed a bra.s.s tray with tea things on it before Lady Blore, and asked if there were any more letters for the post. Aunt Mary was in the act of giving him one when Aunt Aggie intervened.

”Don't,” she said in wild agitation, clasping her hands. ”Mary, I beg of you, I conjure you not to post that letter.”

”Why not? I have resolved to give him another chance.”

”Keep it back one post, I implore you. I have a reason.”

Aunt Mary looked attentively at her sister, and took back the letter.

It was not like her to give way. She seemed less overbearing than usual.

”Well? Why not employ him again?” she said wearily. ”The Irish b.u.t.ter is the cheapest after all. Why do you make such a point of my leaving him.”

Aunt Aggie was entirely nonplussed. A thousand similar experiences had never lessened the shock of the discrepancy between what she expected her sister to say, and what she actually said.

”I thought, I thought,” she stammered, ”I felt sure that, I see now I was wrong, but I had a conviction that that letter--you see I knew you were thinking of writing--was to, was in short to Lord Lossiemouth.”

Aunt Mary's face became magenta colour.

”To Lord Lossiemouth! Why should you think I was writing to him?”

”Well, I could not help knowing--don't you remember how you discussed the subject with me and dear Magdalen some weeks ago?--that the subject of a judicious and dignified letter was in your mind.”

”I was careful not to mention the subject to Magdalen in your presence.

I see now that you must have listened outside the door.”

Aunt Aggie experienced a second shock. How did Mary always spy out these things?

”I can't think,” continued Lady Blore, ”how you can lower yourself to eavesdrop in the way you do; and if you must do these underhand actions, why you don't conceal them better. When you read a private letter of mine the other day, because I inadvertently left it for a moment on my writing-table----”

”You always say you lock up your private letters, you do, indeed, Mary.

_Be_ fair. I could not _tell_ it was private.”

”You would have been wiser not to have alluded next day to its contents.

If you had not done so I might not have known you had read it.”

Aunt Aggie burst into tears.

”The truth is I am not secretive like you, Mary,” she said between her sobs. ”It is as natural to me to be open and trustful with those I love as it is for you to be the reverse. Whatever I do you think wrong. But perhaps some day--and that before long--you will be forced to admit----”

At this moment the drawing-room door opened and Colonel Bellairs came in. He often came to tea at ”The Towers,” though the meeting seldom pa.s.sed off without a sharp brush with Lady Blore.

”Draw up that chair, Algernon,” said that lady, with grim but instant cordiality. ”The tea will be ready in a moment.”