Part 56 (1/2)

”I loathed you,” she remarked, refusing to be drawn. ”You were the most objectionable, bad-tempered, conceited little beast that ever wore a silly little top hat and Eton suit.”

He laughed with a relish.

”That's better!” approvingly. ”It's impossible not to think there is something the matter with you, when you are not dealing out bombs of some sort. Why were you looking so woebegone when I came from the study, out here all alone in the hall?”

”I was not looking woebegone.”

”Oh, yes, you were--just as if I shouldn't know.” There was a pause, then he said with unexpected gentleness: ”You were thinking about Eileen and O'Hara getting engaged, and you being left out in the cold.” He put his hand on hers suddenly: ”Mavourneen,” he said in a voice of enthralling softness, ”you were lonesome.”

For one moment she left her hand in his, and then sprang to her feet with a bound: ”An objectionable, bad-tempered, conceited little beast, that's what you were,” and she slipped past him back to the drawing-room.

Lawrence remained a few seconds longer, and in his face was a strange mingling of yearning and satisfaction. That one moment had been pa.s.sing sweet, the very most he had had to encourage him all through--yet how it made him hunger for more! And she had looked sad when he found her, he had seen it distinctly--the little droop about the lips--the little air of unwonted thoughtfulness.

Ah! she must come now--there must be no more delay--surely with Eileen's engagement a recognised fact he could make headway at last. Surely this was the moment to strike hard. He would take his opportunity.

There were again tears on Paddy's lashes that night, and she tossed restlessly. She shut her eyes, and shut her ears, and tried to shut her mind--but nothing would wholly drown those few words, coming as they did in her first hours of loneliness--nor the ravis.h.i.+ng sweetness of the tones: ”Mavourneen, you were lonesome.”

It was like a spell upon her. Some unreal enchantment that possessed her spirit. Of course it must be broken. Things could not go as they were. Once for all she must _make_ him see the uselessness of his quest, and it must be soon. That Eileen was healed and comforted did not make the smallest difference. The past was still the past. The handwriting still glowed on the wall. Over his coveted happiness--over any happiness for them together--was writ large the sentence of old: ”Tekel--Found Wanting.”

In this mood, and feeling very resolute, Paddy started out two days later, to deliver judgment.

CHAPTER FORTY ONE.

IN LAWRENCE'S DEN.

It was to a small luncheon party, given especially for the three pairs of lovers at Mourne Lodge, that Eileen and Paddy and Jack set out that bright, crisp morning. Gwen and her giant, Doreen and her barrister, Eileen and her stalwart rancher--these were the three amorous couples whom Lawrence, Kathleen and Paddy had to severally and together keep within the bounds of rational dinner-table conversation for a whole hour. After that they were prepared to wash their hands of them and let them hide away and discuss delightful nothings to their own delectation until tea-time. Doreen and the pump-handle court representative announced their intention of playing billiards, which no one thought it worth while to contradict, however sceptical he felt, and anyhow they bent their steps in the direction of the billiard-room. Eileen and Jack decided upon a quick walk, and the giant, of course, merely waited orders. At first they seemed to hang fire. Gwen was manoeuvring in a way that certainly meant something, but it was very difficult to tell exactly what. As a matter of fact, she was waiting on the off chance of Kathleen being called away. Directly the hoped-for call came she was prompt to act.

”Come along, Paddy,” she said, putting her arm through hers; ”let's go and rummage round in Lawrence's den. I think it's just the loveliest spot in the whole house! Did you ever see such a rag-tag and bobtail of odds and ends before? I just love poking round there.” And she led the way at once, Lawrence and the giant following.

For several minutes she really did poke round, and then she discovered she had lost her handkerchief, and promptly dispatched the giant in search. As he was naturally as close to her as he could be she had no difficulty in adding in a tone that he only could hear, ”Don't come back.” After three minutes she looked up in the most natural way imaginable and remarked, ”Whatever can Goliath be doing? My handkerchief must be in the dining-room. Perhaps he can't see so far as the floor.”

Paddy had seated herself in a large easy-chair, and, scenting nothing of the plot, was idly watching the fire. She had, in consequence, no time to realise what was on foot until it was too late.

”I shall have to go and help him search,” said Gwen with a pretence at annoyance. ”He is a terrible m.u.f.f at finding any thing.”

Whereupon she calmly departed and closed the door behind her, leaving Paddy sitting in the big arm-chair, and Lawrence leaning against the mantelpiece, looking down at her with an odd little twinkle in his eyes.

In the dining-room Gwen found Kathleen, but she was quite prepared for the emergency.

”Where has everybody gone?” Kathleen asked wonderingly.

”All gone out, I think,” Gwen replied unblus.h.i.+ngly, and then went off with her Giant to the drawing-room, knowing perfectly well Lawrence's sisters never went into his den, and that therefore her strategy was quite successful.

Meanwhile, when Paddy saw that Gwen had closed the door after her, she leaned forward with a doubtful expression and appeared about to follow.

”Don't run away,” said Lawrence, ”or I shall think you are afraid of me.”

”I am not afraid of anyone,” stoutly, still looking toward the door.

”No, I know you are not. Still, the others most certainly don't want us; we should only be in the way.”