Part 37 (2/2)
The Secretary's attention was, however, mainly directed to Kingsland and Lady Isabelle, who sat side by side at table, and who acted, in his opinion like a pair of fools, till it seemed as if everyone present must guess the true state of affairs. As a matter of fact, no one did, and Stanley, seeing this, was once more rea.s.sured; for he did not wish to play his little part to more of an audience than was absolutely necessary.
Mr. Riddle, towards whom the Secretary, in view of the night's disclosures, felt even a stronger antipathy, was in high spirits, until he was silenced by Mrs. Roberts, who a.s.sured the company that she had caught him in the act of aiding and abetting the cottager's children to make mud pies in the public highway.
”I really couldn't help it,” he said, excusing himself shamefacedly, ”the dear little things were pining for some one to play with, and we did have such fun--and got so grubby;” and there was such a genuine ring of honest pleasure in his tones, that Stanley again found cause to wonder which was the true man.
Something like an hour later, the Secretary emerged on the driveway, to find the pony cart and Belle, got up in faultless style; and as he looked on the technical mistress of his heart, she seemed so exceedingly fair and gracious, that his morbid imaginings vanished away like smoke, under the spell of her presence.
”I'm afraid you'll be very angry with me,” she said, apologetically; ”but when I proposed our drive this afternoon, I'd quite forgotten a promise I made to Mr. Lambert to go and see a poor, sick, old woman, a paris.h.i.+oner of his.”
”Then I suppose the drive is off?”
”Not at all, if you'll be a dear, good, self-sacrificing Jimsy, and do what you're told.”
”What's that?”
”Just jump into the cart and take it round to the north gate--it's a couple of miles I know--but I'll walk straight across the fields, make my visit, and be at our rendezvous almost as soon as you are. I'll promise not to keep you waiting over ten minutes at the longest. Will you do it?”
”Certainly, if I may solace myself with a cigar while I wait.”
”Two, if you like; but you won't have time to smoke them. Now off you go,” and waving her hand to him, she watched him disappear round the corner of the house.
Once he was out of sight, Miss Fitzgerald lost no time in producing, from the mysterious recesses of her pocket, a telegram, the delivery of which she had intercepted, which she surveyed long and critically.
A telegram is generally regarded as best serving its purpose when most promptly delivered; but in the case of this message, Miss Fitzgerald evidently felt it would improve by keeping, for it had arrived during the morning, and was now some hours old. The time had come, however, when it should be delivered to its proper owner, and she accordingly went in search of Lieutenant Kingsland.
CHAPTER XXII
A LITTLE COMMISSION
Lady Isabelle and Lieutenant Kingsland sat on the lawn before the old manor house in the soft glow of an English afternoon, contemplating the inevitable. In this case the inevitable was represented by the Dowager, who was enjoying a peaceful nap not fifty feet away. Only fifty feet of faultlessly-kept turf separated them from the vials of a mother's wrath; and in spite of their supreme happiness of the morning, they felt the presence of this gathering storm which must now be faced--as soon as the Marchioness awoke--for to wake her would put her in a bad temper, and her rage promised to be violent enough without any external irritants.
But it happened that while the Dowager slumbered, Miss Fitzgerald, slipping around the corner of the house, appeared in the background, and signalling to the Lieutenant to come to her, where they could talk without awakening the Marchioness, gave him his telegram. He read its contents once, twice, and a third time, word by word, gave a sigh of unutterable relief, and then laughed joyously.
”Good news, apparently,” commented Miss Fitzgerald.
”The best,” he replied. ”A crusty old relative, who is no good to anybody, lies dying in the north of England, and for some unknown reason has made me his heir-- I must leave at once to see him out of this world in proper style--but it means I'm a rich man.”
”I'm ever so glad. Must you start to-day?”
”I shall go up to London this afternoon, and on to-morrow.”
”You'll spend the night in town, then?”
”Yes. I must go to my bank and draw some funds for my journey.”
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