Part 12 (1/2)

XIX

It seemed to Mrs. Payne an endless time before she heard the steps of Gabrielle returning. She thanked heaven when she knew that she was coming back alone. The bedroom door closed and the sound pulled her together. It suggested to her that the time had now come when something must be done, and though it would have been much pleasanter to let the matter stand over until the morning, she knew that nothing could be gained by waiting, since all of the three people concerned were at that moment awake, and the crisis of the affair had been reached.

The reasons that had dissuaded her from tackling Arthur himself when first her suspicions were aroused still held. She regarded a scene with him as dangerous, for she could not be certain that a big emotional disturbance would not throw him back into his old nature, quite apart from the fact that it would wound her motherly heart. Against Gabrielle, on the other hand, she knew that she could steel herself. Gabrielle was a woman, a woman younger than herself, and, what was more, a visitor in her house. She was satisfied that she could tell Gabrielle what she thought of her, and, in a single interview bring this most uncomfortable and dangerous state of affairs to an end.

She got out of bed again and dressed methodically. This time she wasn't going to put up with any condition that detracted from her dignity. So, having done her hair afresh and satisfied herself that all traces of her breakdown had disappeared, she set out with a high degree of confidence to Gabrielle's room. There was no light in it, but while she stood at the door she heard Gabrielle softly singing to herself inside. Singing!

... Mrs. Payne hardened her heart and knocked at the door. The singing stopped. There was no other sound. Then she knocked again. She heard a soft rustle as Gabrielle stepped to the door. The door opened, and Gabrielle, in her nightdress and bare feet, stood before her. She stared at Mrs. Payne. Who could guess that she knew the reason of her visit?

She only said: ”Oh ... it's you! I wondered....”

”May I come in?” said Mrs. Payne in a hard voice. As a matter of fact nothing could have stopped her going in.

”Of course,” said Gabrielle. ”Do....” She s.h.i.+vered slightly.

”You'd better put on a dressing-gown,” said Mrs. Payne firmly. ”I want to talk to you.”

Gabrielle obeyed her, like a small child, slipped an embroidered kimono over her shoulders and stood facing Mrs. Payne. She looked her straight in the eyes, and said in a low voice: ”Well, what is it?”

”We won't pretend,” said Mrs. Payne. ”You know quite well what it is.”

”Yes ... I suppose you mean Arthur.”

”And you.”

”You saw us go out to-night ... heard us?”

”Yes.”

Gabrielle made a gesture of impatience. ”Well, why shouldn't we? It was the nightingale. Why shouldn't we listen to a nightingale? I'd never heard one.”

”I followed you into the garden.”

”That was a mean thing to do!”

”Perhaps it was. No ... I'd a right to do it. I saw everything that happened.”

”When we kissed each other?”

Mrs. Payne nodded. Gabrielle looked at her challengingly. ”It was the first time,” she said. There was a pause and then she burst out pa.s.sionately. ”I love him ... we love each other. You can't stop us!”

”It's got to be stopped,” said Mrs. Payne.

Gabrielle turned away and perched herself on the end of the bed. She appeared to be thinking, and when next she spoke it was almost dreamily.

”It was the first time. We didn't know before to-night.”

There was nothing dreamy about Mrs. Payne's reply. She believed that Gabrielle was acting a part, and had no patience with her.

”That's rubbish,” she said. ”I don't believe it.”

Gabrielle jumped to her feet and faced her again, blazing with pride and anger and amazingly beautiful.