Part 38 (1/2)
”And John was with you at the lawyer's,” said Lady Ball, attempting her cross-examination for the third time. ”Yes; he was with me there.”
”And what did he say when you asked Mr Slow to make such a settlement as that?”
”He didn't say anything, aunt. The whole thing was put off.”
”I know it was put off; of course it was put off. I didn't suppose any respectable lawyer in London would have dreamed of doing such a thing. But what I want to know is, how it was put off. What did Mr Slow say?”
”I am to see him again next week.”
”But not to get him to do anything of that kind?”
”I can't tell, aunt, what he is to do then.”
”But what did he say when you made such a proposition as that? Did he not tell you that it was quite out of the question?”
”I don't think he said that, aunt.”
”Then what did he say? Margaret, I never saw such a person as you are. Why should you be so mysterious? There can't be anything you don't want me to know, seeing how very much I am concerned; and I do think you ought to tell me all that occurred, knowing, as you do, that I have done my very best to be kind to you.”
”Indeed there isn't anything I can tell--not yet.”
Then Lady Ball remained silent at the bed-head for the s.p.a.ce, perhaps, of ten minutes, meditating over it all. If her son was, in truth, engaged to this woman, at any rate she would find that out. If she asked a point-blank question on that subject, Margaret would not be able to leave it unanswered, and would hardly be able to give a directly false answer.
”My dear,” she said, ”I think you will not refuse to tell me plainly whether there is anything between you and John. As his mother, I have a right to know?”
”How anything between us?” said Margaret, raising herself on her elbow.
”Are you engaged to marry him?”
”Oh, dear! no.”
”And there is nothing of that sort going on?”
”Nothing at all.”
”You are determined still to refuse him?”
”It is quite out of the question, aunt. He does not wish it at all.
You may be sure that he has quite changed his mind about it.”
”But he won't have changed his mind if you have given up your plan about your sister-in-law.”
”He has changed it altogether, aunt. You needn't think anything more about that. He thinks no more about it.”
Nevertheless he was thinking about it this very moment, as he voted for accepting a doubtful life at the Abednego, which was urged on the board by a director, who, I hope, had no intimate personal relations with the owner of the doubtful life in question.
Lady Ball did not know what to make of it. For many years past she had not seen her son carry himself so much like a lover as he had done when he sat himself beside his cousin pressing her to drink her gla.s.s of sherry. Why was he so anxious for her comfort? And why, before that, had he been so studiously reticent as to her affairs?