Part 35 (1/2)
”Did you tell her so?” asked Lady Tanagra.
”Tell her so, I should think I did!” said Mr. Triggs, ”and more than once too.”
”Oh, you foolish, foolish man!” cried Lady Tanagra, wringing her hands in mock despair. A moment afterwards she burst out laughing at the comical look of dismay on Mr. Triggs's face.
”What 'ave I done?” he cried in genuine alarm.
”Why, don't you see that you have implied that all the luck is on her side, and that will make her simply furious?”
”But--but----” began Mr. Triggs helplessly, looking very much like a scolded child.
”Now sit down,” ordered Lady Tanagra with an irresistible smile, ”and I'll tell you. My brother wants to marry Patricia, and Patricia, for some reason best known to herself, says that it can't be done. Now I'm sure that she is fond of Peter; but he has been so impetuous that he has rather taken her breath away. I've never known him like it before,” said Lady Tanagra plaintively.
”But 'e's an awfully lucky fellow if 'e gets 'er,” broke in Mr. Triggs, as if feeling that something were required of him.
”Why, of course he is,” said Lady Tanagra. ”Now will you help us, Mr.
Triggs?”
Lady Tanagra looked at him with an expression that would have extracted a promise of help from St. Anthony himself.
”Of course I will, me dear. I--I beg your pardon,” stuttered Mr.
Triggs.
”Never mind, let it stand at that,” said Lady Tanagra gaily. ”I'm sure we're going to be friends, Mr. Triggs.”
”Knew it the moment I set eyes on you,” said Mr. Triggs with conviction.
”Well, we've got to arrange this affair for these young people,” said Lady Tanagra with a wise air. ”First of all we've got to prove to Patricia that she is really in love with Peter. If she's not in love with him, then we've got to make her in love with him. Do you understand?”
Mr. Triggs nodded his head with an air that clearly said he was far from understanding.
”Well, now,” said Lady Tanagra. ”Patricia knows only three people that know Peter. There is you, G.o.dfrey Elton, and myself. Now if she's in love with him she will want to hear about him, and----”
”But ain't she going to see 'im?” demanded Mr. Triggs incredulously.
”No, she says that she doesn't want Peter ever to see her, write to her, telephone to her, or, as far as I can see, exist on the same planet with her.”
”But--but----” began Mr. Triggs.
”It's no good reasoning with a woman, Mr. Triggs, we women are all as unreasonable as the Income Tax. Now if you'll do as you are told we will prove that Patricia is wrong.”
”Very well, me dear,” began Mr. Triggs.
”Now this is my plan,” interrupted Lady Tanagra. ”If Patricia really cares for Peter she will want to hear about him from friends. She will, very cleverly, as she thinks, lead up the conversation to him when she meets you, or when she meets G.o.dfrey Elton, or when she meets me. Now what we have to do is just as carefully to avoid talking about him. Turn the conversation on to some other topic. Now we've all got to plot and scheme and plan like--like----”
”Germans,” interrupted Mr. Triggs.
”Splendid!” cried Lady Tanagra, clapping her hands.
”But why has she changed her mind?” asked Mr. Triggs.