The Misses Mallett (The Bridge Dividing) Part 41

'No, of course not. Making noises at concerts. Shooting birds. I've told you so before.'

'He's been to Canada.'

'I know.'

'But he has come back.'

'Well, I suppose he had to come back some day.'

'And I hate Aunt Rose.'

'What a pity,' Charles said, taking another cake.

'Why a pity?'

'Beautiful woman.'

'Oh, yes, everybody thinks so, till they know her.'

'I know her and I think she's adorable.'

The word was startling from his lips. Charles, too, she exclaimed inwardly. Was Aunt Rose even to come between her and Charles?

'But of course'--he remembered his lesson--'you're the most beautiful and the best woman in the world.'

'I'm not a woman at all,' she said angrily: 'I'm a fiend.'

'Yes, to-day; but you won't be to-morrow. You'll feel different to-morrow.'

He had, she reflected, a gift of prophecy. 'Yes, I shall,' she said softly, 'I'm stupid. It will be all right to-morrow. I shan't even be angry with Aunt Rose and you've been an angel to me. I shall never forget you.'

He said nothing. He seemed very much interested in his cake.

And because she foresaw that her anger towards Aunt Rose would soon be changed to pity, she apologized to her that night. 'I'm afraid I was rude to you at luncheon.'

'Were you? Oh, not rude, Henrietta. Perhaps rather foolish and indiscreet. You should think before you speak.'

This admonition was not what Henrietta expected, and she said, 'That's just what I was doing. You mean I ought to be quiet when I'm thinking.'

'Well, yes, that would be even better.'

'Then, Aunt Rose, I should never speak at all when I'm with you.'

'You haven't talked to me for a long time.'

She made a gesture like her father's--impatient, hopeless. 'How can I?' she demanded. There was too much between them: the figure of Francis Sales was too solid.

She set out as she had intended the next afternoon. It was full spring-time now and Radstowe was gay and sweet with flowering trees.

The delicate rose of the almond blossom had already faded to a fainting pink and fallen to the ground, and the laburnum was weeping golden tears which would soon drop to the pavements and blacken there; the red and white hawthorns were all out, and Henrietta's daily walks had been punctuated by ecstatic halts when she stood under a canopy of flower and leaf and drenched herself in scent and colour, or peeped over garden fences to see tall tulips springing up out of the gra.s.s; but to-day she did not linger.

It seemed a long time since she had crossed the river, yet the only change was in the new green of the trees splas.h.i.+ng the side of the gorge. The gulls were still quarrelling for food on the muddy banks, children and perambulators, horses and carts, were pa.s.sing over the bridge as on her first day in Radstowe, but there was now no Francis Sales on his fine horse. The sun was bright but clouds were being blown by a wind with a sharp breath, and she went quickly lest it should rain before her business was accomplished. She had no fear of not finding Francis Sales: in such things her luck never failed her, and she came upon him even sooner than she had expected in the outermost of his fields.

He stood beside the gate, scrutinizing a flock of sheep and lambs and talking to the shepherd, and he turned at the sound of her footsteps on the road. She smiled sweetly: rather stiffly he raised his hand to his hat and in that moment she recognized that he had no welcome for her. He had changed; he was grave though he was not sullen, and she said to herself with her ready bitterness, 'Ah, he has reformed, now that there's no need. That's what they all do.'

But her smile did not fade. She leaned over the gate in a friendly manner and asked him about the lambs. How old were they? She hoped he would not have them killed: they were too sweet. She had never touched one in her life. Why did they get so ugly afterwards? It was hard to believe those little things with faces like kittens, or like flowers, were the children of their lumpy mothers. 'Do you think I could catch one if I came inside?' she asked.

'Come inside,' he said, 'but the shepherd shall catch one for you.'

She stroked the curly wool, she pulled the apprehensive ears, she uttered absurdities and, glancing up to see if Sales were laughing at her charming folly, she saw that he was examining his flock with the practical interest of a farmer. He was apparently considering some technical point; he had not been listening to her at all. She hated that lamb, she hoped he would kill it and all the rest, and she decided to eat mutton in future with voracity.

'I was going to pick primroses,' she said. 'Are there any in these fields?' 'I don't know. Can you spare me a few minutes? I want to speak to you.'

Her heart, which had been thumping with a sickening slowness, quickened its beats. Perhaps she had been mistaken, perhaps his serious manner was that of a great occasion, and she saw herself returning to Nelson Lodge and treating her Aunt Rose with gentle tact.

'Shall we sit on the gate?' she asked.

'I'd rather walk across the field. I've been wanting to see you--since that night. I owe you an apology.'

She dared not speak for fear of making a mistake, and she waited, walking slowly beside him, her eyes downcast.

'An apology--for the whole thing,' he said.

She looked up. 'What whole thing?'

'The way I behaved with you.'

'Oh, that! I don't see why you should apologize,' she said.

'It wasn't fair. It wasn't even decent.'

'But it was a sort of habit with you, wasn't it?' she said commiseratingly, and had the happiness of seeing his face flush. 'I quite understand. And we were both amused.'

'I wasn't amused,' he said, 'not a bit, and I'm sorry I behaved as I did. You were so young--and so pretty. Well, it's no good making excuses, but I couldn't rest until I'd seen you and--humbled myself.'

'Did Aunt Rose tell you to say this?' she asked.

'Rose? Of course not. Why should she?'

'She seems to have an extraordinary power.'

'Yes, she has,' he said simply.

'And have you humbled yourself to her, too?'

'No. With her,' he said slowly, 'there was no need.'

'I see.' She laughed up at him frankly. 'You know, I never took it very seriously. I'm sorry the thought of it has troubled you.'