Part 13 (1/2)
But it did not look as if the engagement was broken off. Not at any rate on this raw November evening, when there was a dense fog outside, but a bright, cheery fire and plenty of light in the little sitting room at the Langham, and Luke sat on the sofa beside Louisa, and plain Louisa--in last autumn's gown--looking at him with her candid, luminous eyes.
”How is Lord Radclyffe?” asked Colonel Harris.
”Badly,” replied Luke, ”I am afraid. He looks very feeble, and his asthma I know must bother him. He was always worse in foggy weather.”
”He ought to go to Algeciras. He always used to.”
”I know,” a.s.sented Luke dejectedly.
”Can't something be done? Surely, Luke, you haven't lost all your influence with him.”
”Every bit, sir. Why, I hardly ever see him.”
”Hardly ever see him?” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Colonel Harris, and I am afraid that he swore.
”I haven't been to Grosvenor Square for over six weeks. I am only allowed to see him when Philip is out, or by special permission from Philip. I won't go under such conditions.”
”How that house must have altered!”
”You wouldn't know it, sir: All the old servants have gone, one after the other; they had rows with Philip and left at a month's notice. I suppose he has no idea how to set about getting new ones--I know I shouldn't! There's only a man and his wife, a sort of charwoman who cleans and cooks, and the man is supposed to look after Uncle Rad; but he doesn't do it, for he is half seas over most of the time.”
”Good G.o.d!” murmured Colonel Harris.
”They have shut up all the rooms, except the library where Uncle Rad and Philip have their meals when they are at home. But they lunch and dine at their club mostly.”
”What club do they go to? I called in at the Atheneum last night, thinking to find Radclyffe there, but the hall porter told me that he never went there now.”
”No. He and Philip have joined some new club in Shaftesbury Avenue--The Veterans' I think it is called.”
”Some low, mixed-up kind of place! Old Radclyffe must be out of his senses!”
”He likes it, so he tells me, because people don't come and bother him there.”
”I should think not indeed. I wouldn't set foot in such a place.”
”He goes there most evenings, and so does Philip--and it's so bad for Uncle Rad to be out late these foggy nights.”
”You ought to make an effort and stop it, Luke.”
”I have made many efforts, sir. But, as a matter of fact, I had made up my mind to make a final one to-night. Uncle Rad ought to go abroad, and I thought I would try to impress this on Philip. He can't be a bad man.”
”Oh! can't he?” was Colonel Harris's muttered comment.
”At any rate, if I have no influence, he has, and he must exert it and get Uncle Rad down to Algeciras or anywhere he likes so long as it is well south.”
Luke paused awhile, his face flushed with this expression of determination which must have caused his pride many a bitter pang.
Then he resumed more quietly:
”It's rather humiliating, isn't it, to go to that man as a suppliant?”
”Don't go as a suppliant, my boy. You must insist on your uncle being properly looked after.”