Part 29 (1/2)

The elder _vendeuse_, who probably knew Lady Grenellen by sight, was green with apprehension that some shocking gaff had been committed.

For one second I hesitated, then:

”The things I have ordered are for Lady Grenellen,” I said, calmly.

Mercifully we are about the same height. ”You can send them with the others to Myrlton Castle.”

And with a few casual words of admiration about a set of lingerie that was lying on the table, I sauntered out into the street.

I do not know exactly what I felt--a sense of insult, princ.i.p.ally.

I did not hate Lady Grenellen, and I did not feel jealous about Augustus. But it all seemed so terribly low.

She, a gentlewoman who must have been brought up with every surrounding that could foster the sentiment of self-respect--she, the Duke of Myrls.h.i.+re's cousin, not a _parvenue_--beautiful, charming, and young--to accept clothes from Augustus!

Oh! To take a lover for love, that one could understand and perhaps pardon. The Marquis was grandmamma's lover, but--but not a common person like Augustus--for clothes!

”Back to the Carlton, miss?” said the hansom man, breaking in upon my thoughts. Perhaps I looked undecided as I stood in the street.

I glanced at my watch. There would be just time to catch the train.

”Euston,” I said, and I swung to the doors. Then, as I sat there, I realized that my knees were trembling.

At the station Augustus had already arrived, and, under pretence of seeing whether the servants and luggage were all there, he was scanning the platform anxiously for Lady Grenellen.

His face fell when he saw me. Perhaps he hoped she would have arrived first.

I could not prevent myself from speaking in a voice of extra coldness, although I tried hard to be natural. This was not the moment for recriminations. Augustus noticed it, and, as usual, began to bl.u.s.ter.

”What's up?” he asked, irritably. ”You look as white as a ghost.”

”I will get into the carriage,” I said, ”I am cold.” And Atkinson and McGreggor arranged my cus.h.i.+on and rugs for me, Augustus uneasily watching the platform meanwhile.

Two of the men who had been at Harley pa.s.sed, and, seeing me, came up and spoke. They were going to Myrlton, too, I found.

”Why don't you get in here?” I said, graciously, to the funny one they had called ”Billy,” and whose other name I had never grasped. ”It is so dull to travel alone with one's husband.”

He got in and sat opposite me. We talked merrily.

”Why don't you get in, Gurrage?” he said, ”It is horribly cold with the door open.”

Augustus is not clever under these circ.u.mstances. He has no _sang-froid_, and is inclined to become ill-tempered.

At the last moment, before the train started, Lady Grenellen tore down the platform. Augustus rushed to meet her, and the guard slammed our door.

Whether they had got in somewhere else we should not know until we arrived at Rugby Junction, where we were to change onto a branch line.

I used the whole force of my will to put the matter out of my head. I told myself the doings of Augustus were nothing to me, and henceforth should not concern me in any way.

At last I succeeded in being quite able to enjoy my companion's conversation.

At Rugby we had a quarter of an hour to wait. Nothing of the other couple was to be seen. Apparently they must have missed the train, after all.