Part 25 (1/2)
”What who say, Lord Rufford? People say anything,--the more ill-natured the better they like it, I think.”
”Have you not heard what they say about you and Mr. Morton?”
”Just because mamma made a promise when in Was.h.i.+ngton to go to Bragton with that Mr. Gotobed. Don't you find they marry you to everybody?”
”They have married me to a good many people. Perhaps they'll marry me to you to-morrow. That would not be so bad.”
”Oh, Lord Rufford! n.o.body has ever condemned you to anything so terrible as that.”
”There was no truth in it then, Miss Trefoil?”
”None at all, Lord Rufford. Only I don't know why you should ask me.”
”Well; I don't know. A man likes sometimes to be sure how the land lies. Mr. Morton looks so cross that I thought that perhaps the very fact of my dancing with you might be an offence.”
”Is he cross?”
”You know him better than I do. Perhaps it's his nature. Now I must do one other dance with a native and then my work will be over.”
”That isn't very civil, Lord Rufford.”
”If you do not know what I meant, you're not the girl I take you to be.” Then as she walked with him back out of the ball-room into the drawing-room she a.s.sured him that she did know what he meant, and that therefore she was the girl he took her to be.
She had determined that she would not dance again and had resolved to herd with the other ladies of the house,--waiting for any opportunity that chance might give her for having a last word with Lord Rufford before they parted for the night,--when Morton came up to her and demanded rather than asked that she would stand up with him for a quadrille. ”We settled it all among ourselves, you know,” she said.
”We were to dance only once, just to set the people off.” He still persisted, but she still refused, alleging that she was bound by the general compact; and though he was very urgent she would not yield.
”I wonder how you can ask me,” she said. ”You don't suppose that after what has occurred I can have any pleasure in dancing.” Upon this he asked her to take a turn with him through the rooms, and to that she found herself compelled to a.s.sent. Then he spoke out to her.
”Arabella,” he said, ”I am not quite content with what has been going on since we came to this house.”
”I am sorry for that.”
”Nor, indeed, have I been made very happy by all that has occurred since your mother and you did me the honour of coming to Bragton.”
”I must acknowledge you haven't seemed to be very happy, Mr. Morton.”
”I don't want to distress you;--and as far as possible I wish to avoid distressing myself. If it is your wish that our engagement should be over, I will endeavour to bear it. If it is to be continued,--I expect that your manner to me should be altered.”
”What am I to say?”
”Say what you feel.”
”I feel that I can't alter my manner, as you call it.”
”You do wish the engagement to be over then?”
”I did not say so. The truth is, Mr. Morton, that there is some trouble about the lawyers.”
”Why do you always call me Mr. Morton?”