Part 44 (1/2)

”She is far too good for me,” returned Erle, with a touch of real feeling, for his _fiancee's_ unselfish devotion was a daily reproach to him. Could any girl be sweeter or more loving, he thought.

Fay sighed as she watched him. Erle had changed too, she said to herself; he was nicer, but he had lost his old careless merriment; he looked graver, and a little thin, and there was not always a happy look in his eyes. Fay sometimes feared that the other girl with the fair hair had not been forgotten; she wanted to tell him that she hoped Evelyn knew all about her, but she lacked the courage, and somehow it was not so easy to talk to Erle this time.

But there was one subject on which he dilated without reserve, and that was on Mr. Ferrers's search for Crystal. He was in New York now, he told Fay, with his sister, and he was waiting for further intelligence before he followed Miss Davenport. ”Miss Trafford corresponds with him,” he continued, with an effort; ”but it seems the travelers have little time for writing.” But he wondered, as he talked about the Ferrers, why Fay changed color so often--he had heard it was a sign of delicacy.

”I am tiring you,” he said, hastily; ”you are looking quite pale; you want a change sadly yourself, my Fairy Queen.” And Hugh, entering the room at that moment, caught at the word and came up quickly to the couch.

”Don't you feel so well to-day, pet?” he asked, kindly; ”why are you talking about a change?”

”It was only Erle's nonsense, dear,” she said, hurriedly. She never could speak to him without a painful blush, and it always deepened if he looked at her long, as he did now.

”I never saw you look better than you do to-day,” returned her husband; ”she is quite rosy, is she not, Erle? But you are right, and a change will do her and the boy good. I was thinking how you would like to go down to Devons.h.i.+re, Fay, while I am away?”

”Away?” she said, very quietly; ”where are you going, Hugh?”--but there was no surprise in her face.

”Oh, you can not forget,” returned Hugh, impatiently, ”unless that baby puts everything out of your head. Do you not remember that I told you that Fitzclarence was coming down this week to arrange about our trip to Cairo.”

”No,” she replied, ”you never said anything about it, Hugh;” which was the truth, for he had never taken the trouble to inform her, though Mrs. Heron had had orders to prepare a room for the expected guest.

”Well, well,” rather irritably, ”I meant to tell you, but one's memory is treacherous sometimes. He will be down here about Wednesday or Thursday, for in another week we hope to start.”

”Indeed,” returned Fay, in a tired voice, pulling off her baby's shoe; but, to Erle's astonishment, she manifested no emotion. As for Sir Hugh, he was relieved to find his Wee Wifie was becoming such a reasonable woman. Why, he could talk to her quite comfortably without fear of a scene.

”What will you do with yourself, dear,” he continued, briskly. ”Don't you think it would be the best thing to go down to Daintree and show your baby to Aunt Griselda?”

”Just as you like,” was the indifferent answer. But Erle interrupted her.

”How long do you mean to absent yourself from the bosom of your family, Hugh?”

”Oh, two or three months; we can not follow out the route Fitzclarence proposed under that time--about ten or eleven weeks, I should say.”

”Three months? Well, all I can say is, marriage is not the fettered state we bachelors imagine it to be. I had no idea one could get leave of absence for half that time. I hope my wife will be as accommodating as Fay.”

There was a concealed sarcasm in Erle's careless speech that jarred upon Hugh, and he answered, angrily:

”I wish you would not talk such nonsense, Erle. Fay has the sense to know that my health requires complete change, and I shall not be the man I was without it. I ought to have had three months last time, only her illness recalled me. But now I can leave her more happily.”

”And you expect to do the trip in eleven weeks with Fitzclarence as the leader of the expedition. Fitzclarence, so renowned for his punctuality--so celebrated for never altering a given route at a minute's notice.”

Erle was going too far, and Sir Hugh answered him with decided impatience.

”I did not know Fitzclarence was a friend of yours, Erle; but I never listen to the idle gossip one picks up at one's club. I am perfectly satisfied with his arrangements, and so are the other men--we have two other fellows going with us. Fay, my dear, I should like you to write at once to your aunt, and ask her if she can have you and the boy. The cottage is rather small; do you think you could do without Janet, and only take nurse?”

”Oh, yes,” replied Fay, in the same constrained voice; but Erle saw that she had become very pale. But just then Ellerton entered and told his master that some one was waiting to speak to him on business; so the subject was dropped.

Erle looked rather wistfully at Fay when they were left alone together. ”I am afraid you will be very lonely when Hugh goes away,”

he said, kindly. ”Why need you go to Daintree; you will be dreadfully dull there with only your aunt. I do not see why you should not come to Belgrave house first, while Mrs. Montague is there. She is a very pleasant woman, Fay; and you could do just as you like, and you would see Evelyn, and I am sure you two would soon be great friends. Do come, Fay; and you can go to Daintree afterward.”

Fay shook her head with a faint, dissenting smile; but she was touched by his kind thought for her.

”No, Erle,” she said, decidedly, ”it would not do at all. Hugh would not like it. He wishes me to go to Aunt Griselda.”