December Love Part 74

"It must be old f.a.n.n.y!" said Miss Van Tuyn, with a touch of irritation.

"n.o.body else would know I was here. But I stupidly told f.a.n.n.y."

She took the receiver out of his hand.

"I'm here! Who is it? Do make haste. I'm in a hurry."

She was thinking of Craven. It was nearly five o'clock, and she did not want to be late in Glebe Place, though she dreaded the encounter she expected there.

"Oh, Beryl, there's bad news!"

"Bad news! What news?"

"I can't tell you like this."

"Nonsense! Tell me at once!"

"I can't! I simply cannot. Oh, my dear, get into a taxi and come back at once."

"I insist on your telling me what is the matter!" said Miss Van Tuyn sharply.

Her nerves were already on edge, and something in the sound of the voice through the telephone frightened her.

"Tell me at once what it is! Now speak plainly!"

There was a pause; then the agitated voice said:

"A cable has come from the Bahamas."

"The Bahamas! Well? Well?"

"Your poor father has--"

The voice failed.

"Oh, do tell me! For Heaven's sake, what is it?"

"Your poor father is dead. Oh, Beryl!"

Miss Van Tuyn stood quite still for a moment.

"My father--dead!" she thought.

She felt surprised. She felt shocked. But she was not conscious of any real sorrow. She very seldom saw her father. Since he had married again--he had married a woman with whom he was very much in love--his strongly independent daughter had faded into the background of his life.

Beryl had not set her eyes upon him during the last eighteen months. It was impossible that she could miss him much, a father with whom she had spent for years so little of her time. She knew that she would not miss him. Yet she had had a shock. After an instant she said:

"Thank you, f.a.n.n.y. I shall be home very soon. Of course, I shall leave the studio at once. Good-bye."

She hung up the receiver and went upstairs slowly. And as she went she resolved not to say anything about what had happened to d.i.c.k Garstin.

He was incapable of expressing conventional sympathy, and would probably say something bizarre which would jar on her nerves if she told him.

She found the two men standing together in the studio. Arabian had on his overcoat and gloves, and was holding his hat and umbrella.

"It was only f.a.n.n.y Cronin!" she said.

As she spoke she looked narrowly at Garstin. Could f.a.n.n.y have told him the news? The casual expression on his face set her mind at ease on that point. She was certain that he knew nothing.

"I must go," she said.

"I will walk with you to a taxi if you kindly allow me," said Arabian, getting her fur coat.

"Thank you!"

As he stood behind her helping her to get into the coat she was conscious of a strange and terrible feeling of fear mingled with an intense desire to give herself up to the power in this man. Was Craven outside? Something in her hoped, almost prayed, that he might be. It was surely the part of her that was afraid.

"Good-bye, d.i.c.k!" she said in an offhand voice.

"Good-bye!" he said. "Take care of her, Arabian."

She sent him a look full of intense and hostile inquiry. He met it with a half-amused smile.

"I shall do better now," he said.

"Ah?" said Arabian, looking polite and imperturbable.

"Come along!" said Miss Van Tuyn. "It must be getting late."

As she spoke a clock in the room began striking five. For a moment she felt confused and almost ill. Her brain seemed too full of rus.h.i.+ng thoughts for its holding capacity. Her head throbbed. Her legs felt weak.

"Anything the matter?" asked Garstin, gazing at her with keen attention and curiosity.

"No," she said coldly. "Good-bye."

And she went down the stairs followed by Arabian.

Garstin did not accompany them. He had gone to stand before his picture of Arabian.

Miss Van Tuyn opened the door. A soft gust of wind blew some small rain into her face.

"Let me hold my umbrella over you, please," said Arabian. "Do take my arm while we look for a taxi."

"No, no!"

She walked on.

"There is nothing the matter, I hope?"

"I had some bad news through the telephone."

She felt impelled to say this to him, though she had said nothing to Garstin. Her brain still felt horribly overcharged, and an impulse had come to her to seek instant relief.