He could hardly repress a smile, but he put his long, white handhastily across his lips to hide it from those bright, keen eyes.
"And do you think you can really take good care of Miss West?" he said."Remember, it is a long trip across the ocean."
She flashed him one of her swift, bright glances.
"Indeed?" she said. "But that does not matter at all, sir. I considermyself quite competent to take care of Miss West anywhere."
"Does she mean to be impertinent?" he thought; but a glance atthe demure, downcast face reassured him. It was only the highself-confidence of ignorant, innocent youth.
"You must excuse me; I don't know how they do such things on this sideof the water," he said, feeling mean within himself, yet not at allunderstanding why it was so. "But, you see, it is all different inEngland. There one chooses a woman of age and experience for a nurse.Now, I remember my own nurse was at least fifty years old."
"In-deed?" replied the girl, dropping him a demure little courtesythat somehow again filled him with an uneasy sense that, under all herpretty humility, she meant to be impertinent. His face felt hot andburning. He did not know how to pursue the conversation.
Seeing that he made her no answer, she looked up with a pretty,appealing air. "Do I understand that you object to taking me toEngland? that my youth counts against me?" she inquired.
"Oh, no, no; not at all, if you are sure you can take good care of thebaby," he replied, hastily. "You see, the whole thing is a great boreand nuisance to me. I object most decidedly to being encumbered withthat child, but, most unfortunately for me, I can't get out of it. So,if you can really be of any use, pray go along with it to England--Oh!"
The sudden exclamation was wrung from him by a glance at her face. Thepretty actress had dropped her mask at hearing those swift, vehementwords of his. A hot color glowed in her face, two pearly tears startedunder her dark lashes. She put out her white hands before her as if toward off a blow.
"Oh, Captain Lancaster, say no more!" she cried. "There has been somewretched mistake somewhere, and I have only been laughing at you thesefive minutes. I am nobody's nurse at all. There isn't any child nor anybaby. It is a grown-up young lady. I am Leonora West."
Tableau!
CHAPTER VIII.
"If only the earth would open and swallow me up!" sighed Lancasterto himself, miserably. It is not pleasant to be made fun of, and themost of people are too thin-skinned to relish a joke directed againstthemselves. Lancaster did not. His ridiculous mistake flashed over himinstantly at the deprecatory words of the girl, and he scarcely knewwhom to be most angry with--himself or Leonora West.
He stole a furtive glance at her, wishing in his heart that he couldsubdue the crimson flush that glowed on his face. He was glad that shewas not looking at him. She had sunk into a chair and buried her facein her hands. Evidently she was not enjoying her saucy triumph much.Those last impatient words of his had cleverly turned the tables.
He glanced at the drooping figure in the arm-chair, and it flashed overhim that De Vere would never be done laughing if he knew that he, LordLancaster, a cavalry officer, and a "swell party" altogether, had beenmade a target for the amusement of this lowly born girl. How dared shedo it? and could he keep De Vere from finding out? he asked himself inthe same breath.
And just then Leonora West lifted her wet eyes to his face, and said,with a sob in her throat:
"I am glad now that I didn't tell you the truth at first. If I had,I mightn't have found out, perhaps, that you thought me a bore and anuisance, and that you didn't want me to go to Europe with you."
Captain Lancaster winced. All she had said was quite true, yet he hadnot cared to have her know it. It is but seldom one cares to havepeople know one's real opinion of them.
"And--and"--she went on, resentfully, "you may be quite, quite sure,after this, that I will not go with you. You will have no trouble withme. My aunt might have come after me herself, I think. I was afraid,when I got her letter saying that you would come for me, that somethingwould go wrong. Now I know it. To think that you should call me a baby!"
While she poured forth her grievances dolorously, Lancaster had beencollecting his wool-gathering wits. What upon earth was he to do ifshe really refused to go with him? He pictured to himself old LadyLancaster's fury. It was quite likely that, after such a contretemps,she would cut him off with a shilling.
"It will never do for her to stay in this mood. She shall go toEngland, _nolens volens_," he resolved.
"Richard" began to be "himself again." The ludicrous side of the casedawned upon him.
"I have made a tremendous _faux pas_, certainly, and now I must get outof it the best way I can," he thought, grimly.
Leonora's sharp little tongue had grown still now, and her face wasagain hidden in her hands. He went up to her and touched her blacksleeve lightly.
"Oh, come now," he said; "if you go on like this I shall think I madea very apposite mistake. Who but a baby would make such a declarationas yours in the face of the circumstances? Of course you are going toEurope with me!"
"I am not," she cried, with a mutinous pout of the rich red lips.
"Yes, you are," he replied, coolly. "You have no business to get angrywith me because I made a slight mistake about your age. And after all,I remember now that it was really De Vere's mistake, and not mine."
"Who is De Vere?" inquired Leonora, curiously, as she glanced up athim through her wet lashes, and showing the rims of her eyes very pinkindeed from the resentful tears she had shed.
"De Vere is my friend and traveling-companion," he replied.
"And does he, too, consider me a bore and a nuisance?"
"Well," confidingly, "to tell you the truth, we both did--that is,you know, while we were laboring under the very natural mistake thatyou were a very small baby instead of--a grown-up one. But all that isaltered now, of course, since I have met you, Miss West. We shall beonly too happy to have you for our _compagnon du voyage_."
He was speaking to her quite as if she were his equal, and not thelowly born niece of the housekeeper at his ancestral home. It wasimpossible to keep that fact in his head. She was so fair, so refined,so well-bred, in spite of the little flashes of spirit indicative of aspoiled child.
She did not answer, and he continued, pleasantly:
"I am very sorry for the mistake on my part that caused you so muchannoyance. I desire to offer you every possible apology for it."
She looked up at him quickly. "Oh, I wasn't mad because you thoughtLeonora West was a baby," she said.
"Then why--because I thought you were a nurse?"
"Not that either. I was only amused at those mistakes of yours."
She paused a moment, then added, with a rising flush:
"It was for those other words you said."
"I do not blame you at all. I was a regular brute," said Lancaster,penitently. "Do say that you forgive me, I never should have said it ifonly I had known."
"Known what?" she inquired.
"That you were the baby I had to carry to England. I should have beenonly too happy to be of service to you. De Vere will be distracted withenvy at my privilege. There, I have said several pretty things to you.Will you not forgive me now?"
"Yes, I will forgive you, but you do not deserve it," answered Leonora."It was not kind to talk about me so, even if I had been an unconsciousbaby."
"It was not," he admitted. "But think a moment, Miss West. I am abachelor, and I know nothing at all of babies. I have forgotten all theexperiences of my own babyhood. I was wretched at the idea of havingto convey one of those troublesome little problems across the ocean. Iwould as soon have been presented with a white elephant. I should haveknown quite as much of one as the other. Can you find it in your heartto chide me for my reluctance?"
Leonora reflected, with her pretty brows drawn together.
"Well, perhaps you are right," she acknowledged, after a moment. "Theyare troublesome--babies, I mean--I think you called them problems. Youwere right the
re, too, for one does not know what to make of them, norwhat they will do next, nor what they will become in the future."
"Then you can not blame me, can not be angry with me. And you will beready to go with me to-morrow?"
"No, I think not. I am afraid, after all you have said, CaptainLancaster, that you really are vexed in your mind at the thought oftaking me. I do not believe I ought to take advantage of your pretendedreadiness," she replied, sensitively, and with that perfect franknessthat seemed to be one of her characteristics.
"And you refuse to go with me?" He gazed at her despairingly.
"I would rather not," decidedly.
He looked at the pretty face in some alarm. It had a very resoluteair. Would she really carry out her threat of staying behind? He didnot know much about American girls, but he had heard that they managedtheir own affairs rather more than their English sisters. This onelooked exceedingly like the heroine of that familiar ballad:
"When she will, she will, depend on't, And when she won't, she won't, And there's an end on't."
She glanced up and saw him pulling at the ends of his mustache with aninjured air, and a dark frown on his brow.
"Why do you look so mad? I should think you would be glad I'm notgoing."
"I am vexed. I wasn't aware that I looked mad. In England we put madpeople into insane asylums," he replied, rather stiffly.
"Thank you. I understand. Old England is giving Young America arhetorical hint. Why do you look so vexed, then, Captain Lancaster?"
"Because there will be no end of a row in Lancaster Park when I gothere, because you have not come with me."
"Will there, really?"
"Yes; and my aunt, Lady Lancaster, who has promised to give me all hermoney when she dies, will cut me off with a shilling because I havedisobeyed her orders and disappointed Mrs. West."
The blue-gray eyes opened to their widest extent.
"No!" she said.
"Yes, indeed," he replied.
"Then she must be a very hard woman," said Miss West, in a decided tone.
"She is," he replied, laconically.
"You are certain that she would not give you the money?" anxiously.
"Quite certain," he answered.
"And--have you none of your own?"
"Only my pay in the army," he admitted, laughing within himself at herna?ve curiosity.
"Is that much?" she went on, gravely.
"Enough to keep me in boots and hats," he answered, with an owl-likegravity.
"And this Lady Lancaster--your aunt--does she give you the rest?"persevered Leonora.
He did not want to be rude, but he burst out laughing. She looked upinto the bright blue eyes and reddened warmly.
"I dare say you think me curious and ill-bred," she said.
"Oh, no, no, not at all. I am intensely flattered by the interest youtake in my affairs."
"It is only because I do not want to be the means of your losing thatmoney, if you want it. Do you?"
"Indeed I do. Anybody would be glad to have twenty thousand a year," hereplied.
"So much as that? Then, of course, I must not be the cause of yourlosing it," said Leonora, gravely.
"Then you will go with me?" he cried, with quite a load lifted from hismind by her unexpected concession.
"Ye-es. I suppose I shall have to go," she answered.
"A thousand thanks. I thought you would relent," he said. "And will yoube ready to sail with me to-morrow?"
"Oh, yes, quite ready. My trunks have been packed several weeks, and Ihave been only waiting for you to come," she answered, promptly.
And then she slipped her small hand into the folds of her dress anddrew out a netted silk purse, through whose meshes he caught theglitter of gold pieces. She counted out a number of shining coins intohis hand with quite a business-like air.
"That is the price of my ticket. Will you please buy it for me? I willhave my luggage sent down all right," she said.
He took the money mechanically and rose, thinking this a dismissal.Then something that had been on his mind all the time rose to his lips.
"I want to ask a great favor of you, Miss West."
She looked at him with a slight air of wonder, and answered: "Yes."
"You will meet with my friend, Lieutenant De Vere, on board thesteamer. He is a very nice youth indeed. He will be good friends withyou directly."
"In-deed?" said Leonora, in a slow, inquiring voice that implied adistinct doubt on the subject.
"Yes, indeed. You need not look so incredulous. You will be sure tolike him. The ladies all adore him."
She looked up at him with the dimples coming into roguish play aroundher mouth.
"And you wish to warn me not to fall a victim to his manifoldperfections?" she said.
"Oh, dear, no, not at all. I never thought of such a thing. You see,Miss West, my friend intensely enjoys a joke."
"Yes?" she gazed at him with an air of thorough mystification.
"He intensely enjoys a joke," repeated Lancaster. "I want you topromise me now, upon your honor, that you will not tell him howunmercifully you quizzed me awhile ago. He would never have donechaffing me if he knew, and he would tell the whole regiment once welanded in England."
"Would they tease you much?" inquired Leonora, highly interested.
"Unbearably," he replied.
"They shall not know, then," she answered, promptly. "I will not tellyour friend about it."
"Nor any one?" he entreated.
"Certainly not," she answered, soothingly, and involuntarily he caughther hand and pressed it a moment in his own, not displeased to see thatshe blushed as she drew it hastily away.
He went away, and when he looked at his watch outside the door he washonestly surprised.
"Two hours! I really do not know how the time went," he said to himself.
When he went back to his hotel he found De Vere in a state of surprise,too.
"You have been gone almost three hours," he said. "Did you find thebaby?"
"Yes, I found it," he replied, carelessly.
"Was it well? Shall we have the pleasure of its company to-morrow?"pursued the lieutenant.
"Yes, it was well, but it is a spoiled child. I am afraid we shall findit a source of trouble to us," replied Captain Lancaster, smiling tohimself at the surprise and delight in store for De Vere to-morrow,when he should find that it was a beautiful young girl instead of across baby who was to be their _compagnon du voyage_ to England.
CHAPTER IX.
Lancaster electrified his friend next morning by informing him that hemust get their traps aboard the steamer himself, as he would not havetime to attend to his own affairs, having some commissions to executefor Miss West.
"The nursing-bottles and the cans of condensed milk, you know," hesaid, with a mischievous laugh, and De Vere stared.
"I should think the nurse would attend to that," he said.
"Nurses are forgetful, and I wish everything to be all right, youknow," replied his friend; "so I shall see to everything myself."
"Well, you will have plenty of time to do so. We do not sail until fouro'clock."
"Well, I shall have plenty to do in the meantime, so you need not waitfor me, Harry. You may just go aboard at any time you like. I shalltake a carriage and call for the baby on my way down."
"You are getting very kind all at once," De Vere said, carelessly.
"Yes, I mean to be. Having undertaken it, I mean to see the poor littlething safely through."
"Well, I wish you success," De Vere replied, as he lighted a freshcigar and turned away.
The tickets and state-rooms had already been secured, and Lancasterhurried down-town, intent on securing all the comforts possible for hisfair charge, who had suddenly grown very interesting in his eyes. Hebought a steamer-chair, some warm rugs, and a gayly colored Orientalwrap that was both pretty and comfortable. Then he provided himselfwith some nice novels and poems and books of travel. When he hadprovided everyt
hing he could think of that was conducive to a lady'scomfort, he repaired to a florist's and selected an elegant and costlybouquet.
"I have noticed that ladies always like a bunch of flowers when theyare traveling," he said to himself. "But what will De Vere say to suchreckless extravagance on my part?"
He smiled to himself, thinking how the young lieutenant would chaff.
"Anyway, I shall have got the start of him," he thought. "He will be onthe _qui vive_ for a flirtation with Leonora West."
Then he looked at his watch and found that he had consumed so much timein making his purchases that he only had time to take a carriage andcall for his charge. Having sent all his purchases to the steamer, andbeing encumbered with nothing but the flowers, he made all haste toexecute his last and pleasantest task--accompanying Miss West to thesteamer on which they were to embark.
"Drive fast," he said to the man on the box; and when they pausedbefore the genteel boarding-house where he had made Miss West'sacquaintance the day before, he jumped out with alacrity and ran up thesteps.
The door was opened by the simpering maid of the day before who hadgiggled at his ridiculous mistake. He could not help coloring at theremembrance as he met her recognizing smiles, a little tinctured withsurprise.
He assumed an air of coldness and hauteur, thinking to freeze her intopropriety.
"I have called for Miss West to take her to the steamer. Will youplease see if she is ready?"
"Oh, Lor', sir!" tittered the maid.