Part 113 (2/2)
This bitter speech Georgina addressed directly to Grenfell, as the one person in the company adapted to comprehend it. He nodded and smiled a perfect acquiescence with her, and Mr. M'Kinlay read on:
”'For your own guidance, therefore, as well as Sir Gervais Vyner's--if you should desire to make the communication to him--I may remark, that any further insistance on this project would be perfectly ineffectual.
Everything I have seen of Miss Luttrell has shown her to be a person of most inflexible will, and a determination far beyond the common. This will be apparent to you when you hear that she is equally resolved to make over the Arran estate, bequeathed to her by her late uncle, to the present Mr. Luttrell, leaving herself, as I may say, totally penniless and unprovided for.'”
”What a n.o.ble-hearted, generous girl!” cried Vyner.
”The dear, high-hearted Kate!” murmured Ada.
”A most artful, designing minx!” whispered Georgina to Grenfell; ”but I suspect that her scheme will not have the success she antic.i.p.ates.”
”'Of course,'” read on M'Kinlay, ”'I mention the last in perfect confidence to you.'”
”Oh, of course!” broke in Georgina, ”my dear Mr. M'Kinlay; the very first trait I discover in myself of angelic self-devotion, I'll certainly impart it to you under the seal of inviolable secresy. Mind, therefore, that you tell n.o.body what a mine of goodness, of charity, and self-denial I am.”
Mr. M'Kinlay bowed an acquiescence, not aware in the least to what he was acceding, so overcome was he by the astounding a.s.surance that the world contained one creature who refused to accept a legacy or avail herself of a gift.
”I am such a poor, weak-minded, vacillatory being myself,” said Georgina, still turning to Grenfell as most likely to appreciate her meaning, ”that I really feel terrified in the presence of these great-souled creatures, who refuse to be stirred by the common motives of humanity.”
”The girl must be a fool!” muttered M'Kinlay, with his eyes fixed on a postscript of Cane's letter--”a perfect fool!” But, without explaining why he thought so, he bundled up his papers, and hurried away.
”What is the mysterious parcel? I am dying to know the content of it,”
said Georgina, as she stood at a window with Grenfell.
”I think I could guess,” said he, slowly.
”You think you could guess! And you have the coolness to tell me this, seeing all the tortures of my curiosity!”
”It is by the shape of the packet that I am disposed to believe I know what is in it.”
”Pray tell me! Do tell me!” said she, entreatingly.
”I don't think I can. I don't think I ought. I mean,” said be, in a more apologetic tone--”I mean, it is not _my_ secret. It is another's--that is, if my guess be the right one.”
”And you have the courage to heighten my eagerness by all this preamble!
Why, my dear Mr. Grrenfell, they told me, that of all the men about town, none knew women as you did!”
”Who told you that?” asked he, eagerly.
”Scores of people.” And she quoted at random the most distinguished names of her acquaintance, every syllable of their high-sounding t.i.tles falling on Grenfell's ear with a cadence perfectly enthralling. ”Come, now,” said she, with a look of entreaty, ”don't worry me any longer. You see I know more than one half of the secret, if it be a secret, already; from whom it comes, and to whom it is addressed.”
”I am in your hands,” said he, in a tone of submission. ”Come out into the garden, and I'll tell you all I know.”
Georgina accepted his arm as he spoke, and they pa.s.sed out into a shady alley that led down to the sea.
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