Part 33 (1/2)

”Of course not,” said Mary. ”Seeing what you have suffered for him----”

”He must never know that,” Nelly said, with gentle dignity, ”until he has spoken. What should I do, Mary, if he never spoke? But I think everyone would keep my secret, even his sister and mother. I asked them not to speak of me in their letters. I am in suspense, Mary.”

”It will not be for long,” the happy bride a.s.sured her. As though she were wiser than another in knowing the way of any particular man with any particular maid!

CHAPTER XXVII

THE INTERMEDIARY

Some time in December Captain Langrishe came home.

Nelly knew the day and the hour that he was expected, but she was as terrified of meeting him as though she had not had so much a.s.surance of his love for her. She knew the events of the day as though she had been present at their happening. Cyprian Rooke's brother, a young, distinguished doctor well on his way to Harley Street although only a few discriminating people had found him out, had gone down to Southampton with Mrs. Rooke and her mother to meet the invalid, who even yet must bear traces of the terrible illness through which he had pa.s.sed. Nelly could see it all, from the moment the big boat came into Southampton Docks till the arrival in London. Captain Langrishe was going down to his sister's cottage in Suss.e.x. The mother and sister, who already claimed Nelly as their own, had been eager for her to be there on their arrival, or to come later. But Nelly was adamant.

”He must come to me,” she said. ”And I think the one thing I could not forgive is that anyone should interfere: _anyone_, even you two whom I dearly love. Promise me that you will not.”

They had promised her. They were women of discretion; and they felt that now he was come back to them things might safely be left to take their own course. To be sure, as soon as he could he would go to Nelly as to his mate, naturally, joyfully. In an early letter, written before Nelly's embargo, Mrs. Rooke had told him that Nelly's engagement had been broken off. Later, she had conveyed the news that Robin Drummond had consoled himself with rapidity, and was to be married to the Miss Gray whose book on the conditions of women's labour among the poor had made such a stir, and not only in political circles. G.o.dfrey Langrishe in his letters had not commented on these communications.

”Let G.o.dfrey be!” said the sister, who knew him with the thoroughness of a nursery companion. ”He will do his own wooing. He would not thank us for doing it for him.”

All next day Nelly waited. After the very early morning she did not dare go outdoors lest he should come in her absence. The General went off to his club to be out of the way. At a quarter to seven he opened the door with his latch-key and came in, more than half-expecting to find an overcoat which did not belong to him in the hall. There was none; and he went on to the drawing-room with a vague sense of disappointment.

Langrishe must have been and gone.

In the drawing-room he found Nelly alone.

”Well, papa,” she said, as he came in, and offered no further remark.

”No one been, Nell?” he asked, with a little foreboding.

”No one.”

”Ah, well, to be sure the boat must have arrived late. They may not have got back to town till to-day.”

The next day pa.s.sed in the same way, and the next day. The fourth day Nelly went out and did her Christmas shopping. She held her head high now, in a spirited way which hurt her father to see, for her face was very pale. That evening she put on a little scarlet silk dinner-jacket, in which the General declared that she looked every inch a soldier's daughter. But the brilliant colour only made her look paler by contrast.

On the fifth day the General, instead of going to his club, went to see Mrs. Rooke and fortunately found her at home. He hardly knew the little woman, but she was a friend of Nell's and had been good to her. Besides, he was so bent upon getting to the root of the business about Langrishe and Nell that he felt no embarra.s.sment on the subject of his errand.

”My dear,” he said, bowing over Mrs. Rooke's pretty hand--he had a charming way with women--”I have come without my daughter knowing.

Perhaps she would never forgive me if she knew. Tell me: what is the mystery about your brother? Why has he not been to see us?”

”I am so glad you came to ask me, Sir Denis,” Mrs. Rooke replied. ”I was just about to go to Nelly. G.o.dfrey is so obstinate. The doctors cannot say yet if he is going to be a cripple or not. His sword-arm was almost slashed through. Jerome Rooke, my brother-in-law, says it will be all right. On the other hand, Sir Simon Gresham shakes his head over it.

G.o.dfrey is to see him again in a few weeks' time. He is waiting for his verdict before he speaks to Nelly. My opinion is that if the verdict is adverse he will never speak at all.”

”Why, G.o.d bless my soul, then!” shouted the General in his most thunderous voice, ”he must speak before! he must speak before!

Everything must be settled. They shall hear Sir Simon's verdict together.”

Those people had been right who had called Sir Denis unworldly. Mrs.

Rooke blinked her pretty eyes before his outburst.