Part 41 (2/2)
This is really too rich!”
The laughter rang out again. His anger was all gone; his face was all suns.h.i.+ne. There was a comedy side to the affair, after all! That was the side of things d.i.c.k was sure to reach sooner or later; his nature tended that way. It served to detect the merest trace of humour in things.
”d.i.c.k!”
A misgiving was seizing her. She was putting two and two together and making a decidedly unpleasant four of it; said:
”Isn't it true that he made violent love to Amy directly she came on board?”
”To Amy! To Amy! If there was one woman he avoided--positively avoided--more than another, it was Amy. He seemed to take a dislike to her directly she was introduced; and in justice to her, I am bound to say that she reciprocated. From her point of view, I suppose that was showing proper feeling. She was for ever trying to poison my mind against him. But I knew him, and I knew her. She preached to the winds!”
d.i.c.k had to pause. Having got hold of the offending root, his indignation was rising, getting the better of him.
”Make love to her!” he repeated. ”Good Heavens! Beyond 'Good morning'
and 'Good night' I don't suppose he spoke a hundred words to her on the whole voyage home.”
”Then--I--I--have been made a fool----”
”Rather an easy task, I should imagine,” interjected d.i.c.k, with truly brotherly contempt. ”But who is responsible for the job? Whoever it was, couldn't have been killed with the hard work!”
”Wait.”
She ran out of the room to her bedroom. Quickly opening a drawer, made a moment's search therein. Then returned with a letter in her hand--triumphant.
”It is not altogether correct form for a woman to show a man another woman's letter, but read that.”
d.i.c.k sat down at the table and she smoothed the doc.u.ment out before him with a degree of gusto. It was her warrant of justification; the only t.i.tle-deed she possessed to the behaviour of which she had been guilty.
He read it. His face became worth watching as he did so. Amus.e.m.e.nt, loathing, astonishment, all held sway on it at odd times. Despite his disgust though, there was big hope in the sediment. As he concluded he whistled his favourite ”Rule Britannia.”
”Well?”
She had been eagerly watching him. Read the answer in his face, but woman-like asked what she already knew:
”Isn't it true?”
”True!” He tossed the letter back to her as he answered. ”From beginning to end it is a tissue of deliberate lies.”
She heard rapturously. The moral worth of her friend Amy and the ultimate destination of Amy's soul, were matters for future commiseration. They sank into insignificance before the resuscitation of her faith in Masters. That mighty edifice had been obscured by clouds; the clouds were clearing and the proud summit was peeping through.
So glad was she, that she positively revelled in the admission of her own gullibility; said joyously:
”Lies! And I believed them!”
”That doesn't astonish me! I used to think you were a sensible girl, but now--well, there! But there's more than mere lies in that letter.”
”What?”
<script>