Part 69 (1/2)
”You think too much of the future--you take terribly gloomy views,” said Peter, looking for his hat.
”What other views can one take when one's son has deliberately thrown away a fortune?”
”Thrown one away? Do you mean through not marrying----?”
”I mean through killing by his perversity the best friend he ever had.”
Peter stared a moment; then with laughter: ”Ah but Julia isn't dead of it!”
”I'm not talking of Julia,” said his aunt with a good deal of majesty.
”Nick isn't mercenary, and I'm not complaining of that.”
”She means Mr. Carteret,” Grace explained with all her competence. ”He'd have done anything if Nick had stayed in the House.”
”But he's not dead?”
”Charles Carteret's dying,” said Lady Agnes--”his end's dreadfully near.
He has been a sort of providence to us--he was Sir Nicholas's second self. But he won't put up with such insanity, such wickedness, and that chapter's closed.”
”You mean he has dropped Nick out of his will?”
”Cut him off utterly. He has given him notice.”
”The old scoundrel!”--Peter couldn't keep this back. ”But Nick will work the better for that--he'll depend on himself.”
”Yes, and whom shall we depend on?” Grace spoke up.
”Don't be vulgar, for G.o.d's sake!” her mother e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed with a certain inconsequence.
”Oh leave Nick alone--he'll make a lot of money,” Peter declared cheerfully, following his two companions into the hall.
”I don't in the least care if he does or not,” said Lady Agnes. ”You must come upstairs again--I've lots to say to you yet,” she went on, seeing him make for his hat. ”You must arrange to come and dine with us immediately; it's only because I've been so steeped in misery that I didn't write to you the other day--directly after you had called. We don't give parties, as you may imagine, but if you'll come just as we are, for old acquaintance' sake--”
”Just with Nick--if Nick will come--and dear Biddy,” Grace interposed.
”Nick must certainly come, as well as dear Biddy, whom I hoped so much to find,” Peter p.r.o.nounced. ”Because I'm going away--I don't know when I, shall see them again.”
”Wait with mamma. Biddy will come in now at any moment,” Grace urged.
”You're going away?” said Lady Agnes, pausing at the foot of the stairs and turning her white face upon him. Something in her voice showed she had been struck by his own tone.
”I've had promotion and you must congratulate me. They're sending me out as minister to a little hot hole in Central America--six thousand miles away. I shall have to go rather soon.”
”Oh I'm so glad!” Lady Agnes breathed. Still she paused at the foot of the stair and still she gazed.
”How very delightful--it will lead straight off to all sorts of other good things!” Grace a little coa.r.s.ely commented.
”Oh I'm crawling up--I'm an excellency,” Peter laughed.