Part 35 (2/2)
”You didn't ask me.”
”Don't be so distressingly literal. I'm late for the service as it is.
My daughter has probably misunderstood our arrangements, and is waiting for me at the church.” And the Marchioness showed unmistakable signs of preparing to leave.
Even allowing a most liberal leeway to the maundering old parson, Stanley knew he could not yet have reached that pa.s.sage beginning, ”All ye that are married,” and ending in ”amazement,” for which there is a canonical time-allowance of at least five minutes; it therefore behoved him to play his last trump.
The Dowager, like a hen preening her feathers, had given the last touches to her garments, and was already half-way to the door, when the Secretary, stepping forward, arrested her progress by remarking:
”I feel that I owe you some explanation of what occurred last night, Lady Port-Arthur.”
”Perhaps it's as well that you should explain,” she replied, pausing at the door, ”though I should have supposed it would have been unnecessary after our last interview.”
”I've not forgotten it.”
”You appeared to have done so last evening.”
”Really, you know,” he said, piqued by her rudeness, ”I couldn't refuse to escort your daughter down to dinner when my hostess requested me to do so.”
”If Mrs. Roberts so honoured you as to permit you to take in Lady Isabelle, naturally----”
”Yes, that is the way I should have put it.”
”I do not pretend to say how you should have expressed yourself, but I wish to point out that your place at dinner was no excuse for your place afterwards.”
”Oh, in the conservatory. Well, you see, the fact is, I was telling Lady Isabelle----”
”Yes, Mr. Stanley. What were you telling my daughter?”
He glanced at the clock. Seven minutes had elapsed since the Dowager entered the hall. He hoped they would shorten the service.
”I was asking her a question,” he continued.
”Well?”
The Dowager was far below zero.
”I asked her if she cared for me.”
”And she naturally referred you to her mother.”
”She told me a few minutes ago that you were coming here,” he replied, noticing that his companion's mercury was rapidly rising.
”I'm glad,” continued the Marchioness, ”that you've taken so early an opportunity to explain what I could only consider as very singular conduct. For dear Isabelle's sake I'll consent to overlook what has occurred in the past, and if you can make suitable provision----”
Five minutes only remained before the time of early service. He thought his income large enough to fill the interval, and interrupted with:
”The woman I marry would have----,” and then he told the Dowager all about it, in sterling and decimal currency.
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