In Her Own Right Part 11

"Yes, it's very informing--in more ways than one," she answered.

Whereat Miss Tilghman laughed outright, and Dangerfield had to retrieve a card from the floor, to hide his merriment.

"What's the hilarity?" asked Miss Carrington, coming over to their table. "You people seem to be enjoying the game."

Which sent Miss Tilghman into a gale of laughter, in which Dangerfield joined.

Miss Erskine frowned in disapproval and astonishment.

"Don't mind them, Mr. Croyden," she said. "They really know better, but this is the silly season, I suppose. They have much to learn, too--much to learn, indeed." She turned to Miss Carrington. "I was explaining a few things about the game to Mr. Croyden, Davila, the rule of eleven and the Ace-King lead, and, for some reason, it seemed to move them to jollity."

"I'm astonished!" exclaimed Miss Carrington, her violet eyes gleaming with suppressed mirth.

"I hope Mr. Croyden does not think we were laughing at _him_!" cried Miss Tilghman.

"Of course not!" returned Croyden solemnly, "and, if you were, my stupidity quite justified it, I'm sure. If Miss Erskine will only bear with me, I'll try to learn--Bully thing, that rule of eleven!"

It was now Croyden's deal and the score, games all--Miss Erskine having made thirty-six on hers, and Dangerfield having added enough to Miss Tilghman's twenty-eight to, also, give them game.

"How cleverly you deal the cards," Miss Erskine remarked. "You're particularly nimble in the fingers."

"I acquired it dealing faro," Croyden returned, innocently.

"Faro!" exclaimed Miss Carrington, choking back a laugh. "What is faro?"

"A game about which you should know nothing, my dear," Miss Erskine interposed. "Faro is played only in gambling h.e.l.ls and mining camps."

"And in some of the Clubs _in New York_," Croyden added--at which Miss Tilghman's mirth burst out afresh. "That's where I learned to copper the ace or to play it open.--I'll make it no trumps."

"I'll double!" said Miss Tilghman.

"I'll go back!"

"Content."

"Somebody will win the rubber, this hand," Miss Erskine plat.i.tudinized,--with the way such persons have of announcing a self evident fact--as she spread out her hand. "It is fair support, partner."

Croyden nodded. Then proceeded with much apparent thought and deliberation, to play the hand like the veriest tyro.

Miss Erskine fidgeted in her seat, gave half smothered exclamations, looked at him appealingly at every misplay. All with no effect. Croyden was wrapped in the game--utterly oblivious to anything but the cards--leading the wrong one, throwing the wrong one, matching pasteboards, that was all.

Miss Erskine was frantic. And when, at the last, holding only a thirteener and a fork in Clubs, he led the losing card of the latter, she could endure the agony no longer.

"That is five tricks you have lost, Mr. Croyden, to say nothing of the rubber!" she snapped. "I must go, now--a delightful game! thank you, my dear Davila. So much obliged to you all, don't you know. Ah, Captain Carrington, will you see me as far as the front gate?--I won't disturb the game. Davila can take my place."

"Yes, I'll take her to the gate!" muttered the Captain aside to Croyden, who was the very picture of contrition. "But if she only were a man! Are you ready, Amelia?" and he bowed her out.

"You awful man!" cried Miss Carrington. "How could you do it!"

"I think it was lovely--perfectly lovely!" exclaimed Miss Tilghman.--"Oh! that last hand was too funny for words.--If only you could have seen her face, Mr. Croyden."

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEADING THE WRONG ONE, THROWING THE WRONG ONE, MATCHING PASTEBOARDS, THAT WAS ALL]

"I didn't dare!" laughed he. "One look, and I'd have given the whole thing away."

"She never suspected.--I tell you, she is as dense as asphalt," said Miss Carrington. "Come, now we'll have some Bridge."

"And I'll try to observe the rule of eleven!" said Croyden.

He lingered a moment, after the game was ended and the others had gone.

When he came to say good-night, he held Miss Carrington's slender fingers a second longer than the occasion justified.

"And may I come again soon?" he asked.

"As often as you wish," she answered. "You have the advantage of proximity, at least."

VI

CONFIDENCE AND SCRUPLES

The next month, to Croyden, went pleasantly enough. He was occupied with getting the household machinery to run according to his ideas--and still retain Moses and Josephine, who, he early discovered, were invaluable to him; in meeting the people worth knowing in the town and vicinity, and in being entertained, and entertaining--all very quietly and without ostentation.

He had dined, or supped, or played Bridge at all the houses, had given a few small things himself, and ended by paying off all scores with a garden party at Clarendon, which Mrs. Carrington had managed for him with exquisite taste (and, to him, amazing frugality)--and, more wonderful still, with an entire effacement of _self_. It was Croyden's party throughout, though her hand was at the helm, her brain directed--and Hampton never knew.

And the place _had_ looked attractive; with the house set in its wide sweep of velvety lawn amid great trees and old-fas.h.i.+oned flowers and hedges. With the furniture cleaned and polished, the old china scattered in cupboard and on table, the portraits and commissions freshly dusted, the swords glistening as of yore.

And in that month, Croyden had come to like Hampton immensely. The absence, in its society, of all attempts at show, to make-believe, to impress, to hoodwink, was refres.h.i.+ngly novel to him, who, hitherto, had known it only as a great sham, a huge affectation, with every one striving to outdo everyone else, and all as hollow as a rotten gourd.

He had not got used, however, to the individual espionage of the country town--the habit of watching one's every movement, and telling it, and drawing inferences therefrom--inferences tinctured according to the personal feelings of the inferer.

He learned that, in three weeks, they had him "taken" with every eligible girl in town, engaged to four and undecided as to two more.

They busied themselves with his food,--they nosed into his drinks, his cigars, his cigarettes, his pipes,--they bothered themselves about his meal hours,--they even inspected his wash when it hung on the line!

Some of them, that is. The rest were totally different; they let every one alone. They did not intrude nor obtrude--they went their way, and permitted every one to go his.

So much had been the way of Northumberland, so much he had been used to always. But--and here was the difference from Northumberland, the vital difference, indeed--they were interested in you, if _you_ wished them to be--and it was genuine interest, not pretense. This, and the way they had treated him as one of them, because Colonel Duval had been his father's friend, made Croyden feel very much at home.

At intervals, he had taken old Parmenter's letter from its secret drawer, and studied it, but he had been so much occupied with getting acquainted, that he had done nothing else. Moreover, there was no pressing need for haste. If the treasure had kept on Greenberry Point for one hundred and ninety years, it would keep a few months longer.

Besides, he was a bit uncertain whether or not he should confide in someone, Captain Carrington or Major Borden. He would doubtless need another man to help him, even if the location should be easily determined, which, however, was most unlikely. For him, alone, to go prying about on Greenberry Point, would surely occasion comment and arouse suspicion--which would not be so likely if there were two of them, and especially if one were a well-known resident of Maryland.

He finally determined, however, to go across to Annapolis and look over the ground, before he disclosed the secret to any one. Which was the reasonable decision.

When he came to look up the matter of transportation, however, he was surprised to find that no boat ran between Annapolis and Hampton--or any other port on the Eastern Sh.o.r.e. He either had to go by water to Baltimore (which was available on only three days a week) and thence finish his journey by rail or transfer to another boat, or else he had to go by steam cars north to Wilmington, and then directly south again to Annapolis. In either case, a day's journey between two towns that were almost within seeing distance of each other, across the Bay. Of the two, he chose to go by boat to Baltimore.

Then, the afternoon of the day before it sailed, he received a wire--delivered two hours and more after its receipt, in the leisurely fas.h.i.+on of the Eastern Sh.o.r.e. It was from Macloud, and dated Philadelphia.