Enter Bridget Part 29

"I suppose we ought to receive him," said her sister, and accordingly Jimmy was conducted to the drawing-room, where he at once began to make an almost abject apology.

"My only excuse," he concluded, "is that I have the honour to call myself a friend of Miss Rosser's."

"Our dearest niece," murmured Miss Dobson.

"You may know," said Jimmy, who had scarcely ever felt quite so nervous in his life, "that Bridget has been living at No. 5, Golfney Place!"

"Extremely unsuitable on all accounts," answered Miss Dobson.

"Extremely," said Miss Frances.

"As she left her rooms the day before yesterday," Jimmy explained, "I thought it possible she might have come to you."

"We sincerely wish she had," said Miss Dobson.

"Sincerely," said Miss Frances.

"You may think it is rather strange that I should be pursuing Bridget in this way," suggested Jimmy.

"We do," said Miss Dobson.

"My object," continued Jimmy, "is to ask her to marry me!"

"Will you kindly take a chair," cried Miss Dobson, and they all looked about as if to make certain there was nothing in the way, and then sat down. "The present," Miss Dobson added, "may not be the most suitable occasion to inquire concerning your eligibility. My niece is a sweet girl."

"I entirely agree with you," said Jimmy.

"A little impulsive, it may be," said Miss Dobson.

"Perhaps, a little," murmured Miss Frances.

"But exceedingly good to her father after our poor sister's death."

"Very, very good," said Miss Frances, and both sisters blinked their eyes as Jimmy rose to say "good-bye." He was, however, not to make his escape just yet. The Misses Dobson were obviously disturbed in mind.

They could not tolerate the idea of Bridget's whereabouts remaining unknown, and all Jimmy's coolness and a.s.surance were required to restore them to anything resembling tranquillity.

He left the house with a feeling that the scent of lavender must be still clinging to his clothes, and the next morning found him at Crowborough. There, however, he could obtain no news of Bridget, and now he began to wonder whether it was probable she had gone to Paris, where she had lived with David Rosser during the last years of his life. It was on Monday morning that Sybil saw Jimmy in the act of parting from a stranger at the door.

"Who was your visitor?" she inquired, having waited in the dining-room for the purpose.

"A man named Winchester--a private detective," said Jimmy.

"Oh, my dear!" exclaimed Sybil, "how sincerely I wish you would let Miss Rosser go her own way!"

"Haven't I succeeded yet," demanded Jimmy, "in making you understand that her way will always be mine?"

"And yet you know how horridly she treated poor Colonel Faversham, Jimmy. You have always insisted on truth and honesty before anything----"

"Now I only insist," said Jimmy, "that Bridget shall become my wife."

At this Sybil grew reckless.

"Jimmy," she cried, "it is really quite impossible."

"Why?" he demanded.

"My dear, I scarcely like to say the words, but she knew Mark Driver long before she knew you."

"Well, I hope she will see a good deal of old Mark in the future also,"

answered Jimmy. "You force me to break my word," said Sybil, with considerable emotion. "Carrissima will never forgive me. I am sure she won't. But I really cannot keep silence while you go to destruction. I really can't. I promised I would never breathe a syllable----"

"Would you mind," urged Jimmy, "breathing it quickly!"

"There has been an--an understanding between Miss Rosser and Mark from the very first," said Sybil.

"Oh, you mustn't talk foolishness," returned Jimmy.

"Carrissima saw them----"

"What in the world did she see?"

"She happened to go to Golfney Place unexpectedly the afternoon before Miss Rosser left," Sybil explained. "She saw the girl in--in Mark's arms. Jimmy, he was kissing her; actually kissing her, and all the time she must have been engaged to Colonel Faversham."

"Nonsense," said Jimmy; "I don't believe a word of it."

"Do you imagine that Carrissima could possibly tell me an untruth?"

demanded Sybil. "She was half beside herself when I met her, or she would never have said a word."

"Now," suggested Jimmy, "you have hit the explanation. Carrissima was beside herself. Of course," he added, "I shall clear the matter up, but I tell you, to begin with, I don't believe a word of it."

"How Carrissima managed to carry it off," said Sybil, "seems wonderful to me."

"A wonderful story altogether," returned Jimmy.

"Neither Mark nor--nor his companion had the slightest idea they were discovered," said Sybil.

"Oh, then Carrissima didn't tackle the fellow!"

"How could she?" asked Sybil. "You see, she had no actual right to complain! Mark Driver, I dare say, would consider himself free to--to kiss any woman he pleased."

"Anyhow," said Jimmy, with all the a.s.surance in the world, "he didn't kiss Bridget."

"Oh, how can you be so blind!" exclaimed his sister.

"When other people see so much," he answered, "what can be more desirable?"

"Well," said Sybil, with tears in her eyes, "I have told you what Carrissima saw, and naturally she drew her own conclusions."