Out of the Primitive Part 67

"And Blake!" exclaimed Mr. Leslie. "He'll of course be coming, too. I'm going to meet him--learn the truth."

He cast a threatening glance at Ashton, and went out like a shot.

"Uncle Herbert, take me with you!" called Dolores, flying out after him.

"Blake!--coming here!" gasped Ashton. He ran to place himself before Genevieve, who was about to go out. "Wait, wait, Miss Genevieve, please! Save me! He--he said he'd smash me if I talked--he did! He did!

Don't let him hurt me! He threatened to kill me--it's true--true!"

"Threatened to kill you?" repeated Mrs. Gantry. "Genevieve, call back your father. If the man really is violent, as Lafayette says--"

"Aunt Amice!" remonstrated Genevieve. "Can you believe this miserable creature for an instant?"

"But it's true--it _is_ true!" gasped Ashton.

"Mrs. Gantry, dear, dear Mrs. Gantry, you'll believe me! He will kill me! Take me aboard the car! Please, please take me aboard the car and hide me!"

"My dear Genevieve," said Mrs. Gantry, "the poor boy is really terrified."

"Take him to the car, if you wish," replied Genevieve. "He can leave it at the junction."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, Miss Genevieve!" stammered Ashton.

But Genevieve went out without looking at him. He followed with Mrs.

Gantry, keeping close beside her.

CHAPTER x.x.xV

THE FUTURE COUNTESS

As the fugitive and his protectress pa.s.sed out through the verandah and turned away from the bridge toward the car, they were relieved to see that Blake was not yet in sight. Genevieve was hastening out the track to where her father and Dolores and Lord James stood beside the heavily loaded bridge-service train.

Before Genevieve could reach the others, Lord James and Dolores came toward her, and Dolores cried out the joyful news: "It's safe, Vievie!--the bridge is safe now! Mr. Blake will be ash.o.r.e in a few minutes."

"You're sure, James?" asked Genevieve. "Quite safe?--and he--?"

"Yes, yes, give you my word! Perfectly safe now, he said, and he'll be coming soon. Er--Miss Dolores, there's your mother going back to the car."

"And Laffi with her!"

"Quite true--quite true. I say now--you've left your m.u.f.f in the office. You'll be chilled--nipping keen wind, this. We'd best go inside while we're waiting."

"Yes," agreed the girl. "Come back in, Vievie."

"No, no, dear. I'll come later. I'll wait here with papa."

"Ah, if you prefer," murmured Lord James. "But you, Miss Dolores--really you should not stand out in this wind."

"Oh, well, if you insist," she acquiesced, with seeming reluctance.

"I do, indeed!" he replied, and he hurried her to the office.

When they entered, he led her to the big drum heating stove in the corner of the room, and went across to the inner door. He opened it, and called a terse order to Ashton's valet. He then closed the door and locked it.

Dolores started to edge toward the outer door. But he was too quick for her. He hastened across and cut off her retreat.

"No, no!" he declared. "You sha'n't run away."

"Run away?" she rejoined, drawing herself up with a strong show of indignation.

"It's--it's the very first opportunity I've had--the first time alone with you all these days," he answered. "I must insist! I--I beg your pardon, but I must find out, really I must! It seemed to me that--that just now you waved to me, from the window."

"To you? But how could I tell, so far off, that Mr. Blake was not on the train?"

"So that was it?" he replied, suddenly dashed. "Very stupid of me--very! Yet--yet--I must say it! Miss Gantry--Dolores, you've insisted on showing me your deepened dislike even since that evening.

But you're so sincere, so candid--if only you'll tell me my faults, I'll do anything I possibly can to please you, to win your regard!"

"Ho! so that's it?" she jeered. "Because Vievie threw you over, you think I'll do as second choice--you think I'm waiting to catch you on the rebound."

"You?" he exclaimed. "How could that be? You've always been so frank in showing your dislike for me--how could I think that? But if only I might convince you how desirous I am to--to overcome your antipathy!"

"Lord Avondale," she said, "it is probable that you are laboring under a misconception. I am not an heiress; I am not wealthy. We are barely well-to-do. So, you see--"

"Ah, yes! And you--" he exclaimed, stepping nearer to her--"you, then, shall see that it is yourself alone! If I can but win you! Tell me, now--why is it you dislike me? I'll do anything in my power. Forget I'm my father's son--that I'm English. I must win you! Tell me how I can overcome your dislike!"

Dolores drew back, blus.h.i.+ng first scarlet then crimson with blissful confusion. All her ready wit fled from her and left her quivering with the sweet agitation of her love.

"But it's--it's not true, Jimmy!" she whispered. "I don't--I'm not what you think me! I'm not sincere or honest--I'm just a liar! I've been pretending all along. It's not true that I ever disliked you!"

"Not true?" he asked incredulously.

She gave him a glance that answered him far more clearly than words. He started toward her impulsively.

"Dolores!--it can't be!"

She avoided him, in an attempt to delay the inevitable surrender.

"Ware danger, your earls.h.i.+p!" she mocked. "I warn you I'm a designing female. How do you know it's not the coronet I'm after?"

"Dearest!" he exclaimed, and this time he succeeded in capturing the hand that she flung out to fend him off.

"Wait--wait!" she protested. "This is most--ah--indecorous. Think how shocked mamma would be. You haven't even declared your intentions."

"My intentions," he stated, "are to do--this!" He boldly placed his arm about her shoulders, and bent down over her back-tilted head. "_My_ dear Miss Gantry, I have the honor of saluting--the future Countess of Avondale!"

Instead of shrinking--from him, as he half feared, she slipped an arm up about his neck.