Part 49 (1/2)
”No doubt you are.”
”I mean for your sake.”
”For my sake? You think as little of me as I do of you. Come, now, what do you want of me--without a lie, if you _can?”_
”I wanted to see you, and talk to you, and hear your prospects.”
”Well, I have told you.” And she pretended to be going.
”Don't be in such a hurry. Tell us the news. Is it true that Lady Ba.s.sett is expected--”
”Oh, that is no news.”
”It is to me.”
”'Tain't no news in our house. Why, we have known it for months.”
This took away the man's breath for a minute.
At last he said, with a great deal of intention:
”Will it be fair or dark?”
”As G.o.d pleases.”
”I'll bet you five pounds to one that it is dark.”
Mary shrugged her shoulders contemptuously, as if these speculations were too childish for her.
”It's my lady you want to talk about, is it? I thought it was to make me a wedding present.”
He actually put his hand in his pocket and gave her two sovereigns. She took them with a grim smile.
He presumed on this to question her minutely.
She submitted to the interrogatory.
Only, as the questions were not always delicate, and the answer was invariably an untruth, it may be as well to pa.s.s over the rest of the dialogue. Suffice it to say that, whenever the girl saw the drift of a question she lied admirably; and when she did not, still she lied upon principle: it must be a good thing to deceive the enemy.
Richard Ba.s.sett was now perplexed, and saw himself in that very position which had so galled Lady Ba.s.sett six weeks or so before. He could not make any advantageous move, but was obliged to await events.
All he could do was to spy a little on Lady Ba.s.sett, and note how often she went to the asylum.
After many days' watching he saw something new.
Mr. Angelo was speaking to her with a good deal of warmth, when suddenly she started from him, and then turned round upon him in a very commanding att.i.tude, and with prodigious fire. Angelo seemed then to address her very humbly. But she remained rigid. At last Angelo retired and left her so; but he was no sooner out of sight than she dropped into a garden seat, and, taking out her handkerchief, cried a long time.
”Why doesn't the fool come back?” said Ba.s.sett, from his tower of observation.