Part 11 (2/2)
”If you were to talk to Sibylla now,” he said, ”I think you'd be reminded of those old days you once told me about. Fate has thumped her pretty severely for anything she did, but she's mortally anxious to be thumped more, and very angry with me because I won't allow it. Upon my word, I believe she'd be disappointed if Tarlton told us that the thing wasn't so bad after all, and that everything would go right without anything being done.”
”I daresay she would; but there's no chance of that?”
”Well, I'm afraid not. One must believe one's medical man, I suppose, even if he's old Gardiner--and he seems quite sure of it.” Grantley drank and sighed. ”It's uncommonly perverse, when everything was so prosperous before.”
The day had left its traces on Jeremy. Though he had not told Grantley so, yet when he saw Sibylla thrown he had made no doubt she was killed--and she was the one person in the world whom he deeply loved.
That fear was off him now, but the memory of it softened him towards her--even towards her foolishness, which he had been wont to divide very distinctly from her, and to consider himself free to deal with faithfully.
”At best it'll be a most awful disappointment to her.”
”Yes, it must be that--and to me too,” said Grantley.
”She was just living in and for the thing, you know.”
Grantley made no answer this time; a shade of annoyance pa.s.sed over his face.
”She never could give herself to more than one thing at a time--with her that one thing was always the whole hog, and there was nothing else.
That's just how it's been now.”
Jeremy's words showed true sympathy, and, moreover, a new absence of shame in expressing it; but Grantley did not accord them much apparent welcome. They came too near to confirming his suspicions; they harmonised too well with the soreness which remained from his impotent entreaties and unpersuasive caresses. Again without answering, he got up and lit his cigar.
”Oh, by the way,” Jeremy went on, ”while you were with Sibylla that girl from the rectory came up--you know, Dora Hutting--to ask after Sibylla and say they were all awfully sorry and anxious, and all that, you know.”
”Very kind of them. I hope you told her so, and said what you could?”
”Yes, that's all right. The girl seems awfully fond of Sibylla, Grantley. By Jove, when we got talking about her, she--she began to cry!”
Grantley turned round, smiling at the unaccustomed note of pathos struck by Jeremy's tone.
”Rather decent of her, wasn't it?” asked Jeremy.
”Very nice. Did you console her?”
”Oh, I didn't see what the devil I could say! Besides I didn't feel very comfortable--it was rather awkward.”
”I believe the girl's afraid of me--she always seems to come here when I'm away. Is she a pleasant girl, Jeremy?”
”Oh, she--she seemed all right; and I--I liked the way she felt about Sibylla.”
”So do I, and I'll thank her for it. Is she getting at all prettier?”
”Well, I shouldn't call her bad-looking, don't you know!”
”She used to be a bit spotty,” yawned Grantley.
”I don't think she's spotty now.”
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