Part 21 (1/2)

Sir Eustace clapped a sudden hand on his shoulder. ”No one doubts that, my boy. You're true gold. But it's sheer foolishness to go on in the same old way that's proved a failure a hundred times. In heaven's name, now that we've hauled her out of that infernal groove, don't let idiotic sentimentality spoil everything! Don't shy at the consequences! I'll be responsible for them.”

Dinah glanced up. She saw that for the moment she was forgotten. The light was s.h.i.+ning upon Scott's face, and she read in it undeniable perplexity, but the eyes were steadfast and wholly calm.

He even smiled a little as he said, ”My dear chap, have you ever considered the consequences of anything--counted the cost before you came to pay? No, never!”

”Don't preach to me!” Eustace said sharply.

”No. I won't. But don't you talk in that airy way about responsibility to me! Because--” Scott's smile broadened and became openly affectionate--”it just won't go down, dear fellow! I can't swallow camels--never could.”

”You can strain at gnats though,” commented Sir Eustace, pivoting round on his skates. ”Well, you know my sentiments. I haven't put my foot down yet. But I'm going to--pretty soon. It's got to be done. And if you can't bring yourself to it,--well, I shall, that's all.”

He was gone with the words, swift as an arrow, leaving behind him a s.p.a.ce so empty that Dinah felt a sudden queer little pang of desolation.

Scott remained motionless, deep in thought, for the pa.s.sage of several seconds. Then abruptly the consciousness of her presence came upon him, and he turned to her. She was sitting on the bank looking up at him with frank interest. Their eyes met.

And then a very curious thing happened to Dinah. She flinched under his look, flinched and averted her own. A great shyness suddenly surged through her, a quivering, overmastering sense of embarra.s.sment. For in that moment she viewed the flight to Olympus as he would have viewed it, and was horribly, overwhelmingly ashamed. She could not break the silence. She had no words to utter--no possible means at hand by which to cover her discomfiture.

It was he who spoke, in his voice a tinge of restraint. ”I was going to ask if it would bore you to come and see my sister again this evening. I have obtained Lady Grace's permission for you to do so.”

She sprang to her feet. ”Of course--of course I would love to!” she said rather incoherently. ”How could it bore me? I--I should like it--more than anything.”

He smiled faintly, and held out his hand for the boots she had just discarded. ”That is more than kind of you,” he said. ”My sister was afraid you might not want to come.”

”Of course I want to come!” maintained Dinah. ”Oh no, thank you; I couldn't let you carry my boots. How clever of you to tackle Lady Grace!

What did she say?”

”Neither she nor the Colonel made any difficulty about it at all,” Scott said. ”I told them my sister was an invalid. Lady Grace said that I must not keep you after ten, and I promised I wouldn't.”

His manner was kindly and quizzical, and Dinah's embarra.s.sment began to pa.s.s. But he discomfited her afresh as they walked across the road by saying, ”You have made it up with my brother, I see.”

Dinah's cheeks burned again. ”Yes,” she said, after a moment. ”We made it up this afternoon.”

”That was very lucky--for him,” observed Scott rather dryly.

Dinah made a swift leap for the commonplace. ”I hate being cross with people,” she said, ”or to have them cross with me; don't you?”

”I think it is sometimes unavoidable,” said Scott gravely.

”Oh, surely you are never cross!” said Dinah impetuously. ”I can't imagine it.”

”Wait till you see it!” said Scott, with a smile.

They entered the hotel together. Dinah was tingling with excitement. She had managed to escape from her discomfiture, but she still felt that any prolonged intercourse with the man beside her would bring it back. She was beginning to know Scott as one who would not hesitate to say exactly what he thought, and not for all she possessed in the world would she have had him know what had pa.s.sed in that far corner of the rink so short a time before.

She chattered inconsequently upon ordinary topics as they ascended the stairs together, but when they reached the door of Isabel's sitting-room she became suddenly shy again.

”Hadn't I better run and take off my things?” she whispered. ”I feel so untidy.”

He looked at her. She was clad in the white woollen cap and coat that she had worn in the day. Her eyes were alight and sparkling, her brown face flushed. She looked the very incarnation of youth.

”I think she will like to see you as you are,” said Scott.