Part 27 (1/2)
”Then I'll tell you. She was helping poor old Mr. Lambert trim the church for to-morrow. I think it was very nice of her.”
”I'm afraid your commendation has come a trifle late. The fact is, I took it upon myself to counsel the young lady in question against a friend of hers--a Colonel Darcy.”
”Not Colonel Robert Darcy?”
”The same.”
”Do you know him?” she asked.
”No, but I know how he treats his wife, and his own character is none too good.”
”It's curious,” she said, a trifle sadly, ”but I'm in just your position in regard to a dear friend of mine, and concerning the same man.”
”Concerning Colonel Darcy?”
”Yes.”
”And his intimacy with Lieutenant Kingsland?”
”How did you know?”
”'He that hath eyes to see----'” quoted the Secretary.
”They never even knew each other till a short time ago, but in the last few weeks they've been constantly together. I can't understand it.”
Mr. Stanley thought he could, but forbore to say so.
”I don't know why I distrust Colonel Darcy, but I do,” she continued, ”and his sudden intimacy with Jack--Lieutenant Kingsland--makes me apprehensive. Do you think----”
”I think your friend is of too pliable a nature to be in the hands of so unscrupulous a rascal.”
She sighed, and then feeling perhaps that she had said too much, hastened to revert to their original subject, saying:
”Don't tell me there's a misunderstanding between you and Miss Fitzgerald. I'm so sorry. I wouldn't for the world--that is, I almost feel as if I'd been to blame.”
”You're not the only one of my friends who has misjudged her-- I've done so myself--utterly.”
”But surely this little difference will not be lasting--I hoped----”
”Would you wish me to marry Miss Fitzgerald, Lady Isabelle?”
”Well, perhaps I won't say that--but I should certainly not wish anything I might have said to prevent you from so doing. Of course, my only reason for interfering was prompted by a wish for your happiness.”
”Do you think you understand what that comprises?”
”That's just the point I wanted to make clear,” she said hastily, determined that he must understand, even at the expense of a slight indiscretion on her part, which she felt would be far preferable to the slightest misunderstanding of their relative positions, in view of any future action of her mother's.
”You see,” she continued, ”to put it frankly, what could I possibly know of the requirements which, in a woman, would go to make you happy. Of course, you and I are friends, great friends; but just that state of affairs, as far as we're concerned, makes any judgment of mine useless concerning the kind of woman you could love.”
Stanley, who could scarcely help drawing his own inferences, was piqued that she should have felt it necessary to batter a self-evident fact into his brain in such a bald manner.