CHAPTER XXXIV
BLANCHE MERTON'S LITTLE PLOT
At about four o'clock in the afternoon, as Helene was preparing to leavethe Lodge, a telegram was brought in to her from Mr. Sabin.
"I have succeeded and am now _en route_ for London. You had betterfollow when convenient, but do not be later than to-morrow."
She tore it into small pieces and hummed a tune.
"It is enough," she murmured. "I am not ambitious any longer. I am goingto London, it is true, my dear uncle, but not to Kensington! You canplay Richelieu to Henri and my cousin, if it pleases you. I wonder----"
Her face grew softer and more thoughtful. Suddenly she laughed outrightto herself. She went and sat down on the couch, where Wolfenden had beenlying.
"It would have been simpler," she said to herself. "How like a man tothink of such a daring thing. I wish--I almost wish--I had consented.What a delightful sensation it would have made. Cecile will laugh when Itell her of this. To her I have always seemed ambitious, and ambitiousonly ... and now I have found out that I have a heart only to give itaway. _Helas!_"
There was a knock at the door. A servant entered.
"Miss Merton would be glad to know if you could spare her a momentbefore you left, Miss," the man announced.
Helene glanced at the clock.
"I am going very shortly," she said; "she had better come in now."
The man withdrew, but returned almost immediately, ushering in MissMerton. For the first time Helene noticed how pretty the girl was. Hertrim, dainty little figure was shown off to its utmost advantage by theneat tailor gown she was wearing, and there was a bright glow of colourin her cheeks. Helene, who had no liking for her uncle's typewriter, andwho had scarcely yet spoken to her, remained standing, waiting to hearwhat she had to say.
"I wanted to see Mr. Sabin," she began. "Can you tell me when he will beback?"
"He has gone to London," Helene replied. "He will not be returning hereat all."
The girl's surprise was evidently genuine.
"But he said nothing about it a few hours ago," she exclaimed. "You arein his confidence, I know. This morning he gave me something to do. Iwas to get Mr. Blatherwick away from the Hall, and keep him with me aslong as I could. You do not know Mr. Blatherwick? then you cannotsympathise with me. Since ten o'clock I have been with him. At last Icould keep him no longer. He has gone back to the Hall."
"Mr. Sabin will probably write to you," Helene said. "This house istaken for another fortnight, and you can of course remain here, if youchoose. You will certainly hear from him within the next day or two."
Miss Merton shrugged her shoulders.
"Well, I shall take a holiday," she declared. "I've finished typing allthe copy I had. Haven't you dropped something there?"
She stooped suddenly forward, and picked up a locket from the floor.
"Is this yours?" she asked. "Why----"
She held the locket tightly in her hand. Her eyes seemed rivetted uponit. It was very small and fashioned of plain gold, with a coronet andletter on the face. Miss Merton looked at it in amazement.
"Why, this belongs to Wolf--to Lord Wolfenden," she exclaimed.
Helene looked at her in cold surprise.
"It is very possible," she said. "He was here a short time ago."
Miss Merton clenched the locket in her hand, as though she feared forits safety.
"Here! In this room?"
"Certainly! He called to see Mr. Sabin and remained for some time."
Miss Merton was a little paler. She did not look quite so pretty now.
"Did you see him?" she asked.
Helene raised her eyebrows.
"I scarcely understand," she said, "what business it is of yours. Sinceyou ask me, however, I have no objection to telling you that I did seeLord Wolfenden. He remained some time here with me after Mr. Sabinleft."
"Perhaps," Miss Merton suggested, with acidity, "that was why I was sentout of the way."
Helene looked at her through half-closed eyes.
"I am afraid," she said, "that you are a very impertinent young woman.Be so good as to put that locket upon the table and leave the room."
The girl did neither. On the contrary, she slipped the locket into thebosom of her gown.
"I will take care of this," she remarked.
Helene laid her hand upon the bell.
"I am afraid," she said, "that you must be unwell. I am going to ringthe bell. Perhaps you will be good enough to place the locket on thattable and leave the room."
Miss Merton drew herself up angrily.
"I have a better claim upon the locket than any one," she said. "I amseeing Lord Wolfenden constantly. I will give it to him."
"Thank you, you need not trouble," Helene answered. "I shall send aservant with it to Deringham Hall. Will you be good enough to give it tome?"
Miss Merton drew a step backwards and shook her head.
"I think," she said, "that I am more concerned in it than you are, for Igave it to him."
"You gave it to him?"
Miss Merton nodded.
"Yes! If you don't believe me, look here."
She drew the locket from her bosom and, holding it out, touched aspring. There was a small miniature inside; Helene, leaning over,recognised it at once. It was a likeness of the girl herself. She feltthe colour leave her cheeks, but she did not flinch.
"I was not aware," she said, "that you were on such friendly terms withLord Wolfenden."
The girl smiled oddly.
"Lord Wolfenden," she said, "has been very kind to me."
"Perhaps," Helene continued, "I ought not to ask, but I must confessthat you have surprised me. Is Lord Wolfenden--your lover?"
Miss Merton shut up the locket with a click and returned it to herbosom. There was no longer any question as to her retaining it. Shelooked at Helene thoughtfully.
"Has he been making love to you?" she asked abruptly.
Helene raised her eyes and looked at her. The other girl felt suddenlyvery insignificant.
"You must not ask me impertinent questions," she said calmly. "Ofcourse you need not tell me anything unless you choose. It is for you toplease yourself."
The girl was white with anger. She had not a tithe of Helene'sself-control, and she felt that she was not making the best of heropportunities.
"Lord Wolfenden," she said slowly, "did promise to marry me once. I washis father's secretary, and I was turned away on his account."
"Indeed!"
There was a silence between the two women. Miss Merton was watchingHelene closely, but she was disappointed. Her face was set in cold,proud lines, but she showed no signs of trouble.
"Under these circumstances," Helene said, "the locket certainly belongsto you. If you will allow me, I will ring now for my maid. I am leavinghere this evening."
"I should like," Miss Merton said, "to tell you about Lord Wolfenden andmyself."
Helene smiled languidly.
"You will excuse me, I am sure," she said. "It is scarcely a matterwhich interests me."
Miss Merton flushed angrily. She was at a disadvantage and she knew it.
"I thought that you were very much interested in Lord Wolfenden," shesaid spitefully.
"I have found him much pleasanter than the majority of Englishmen."
"But you don't care to hear about him--from me!" Miss Merton exclaimed.
Helene smiled.
"I have no desire to be rude," she said, "but since you put it in thatway I will admit that you are right."
The girl bit her lip. She felt that she had only partially succeeded.This girl was more than her match. She suddenly changed her tactics.
"Oh! you are cruel," she exclaimed. "You want to take him from me; Iknow you do! He promised--to marry me--before you came. He must marryme! I dare not go home!"
"I can assure you," Helene said quietly, "that I have not the faintestdesire to take Lord Wolfenden from you--or from any one else! I do notlike this conversatio
n at all, and I do not intend to continue it.Perhaps if you have nothing more to say you will go to your room, or ifyou wish to go away I will order a carriage for you. Please make up yourmind quickly."
Miss Merton sprang up and walked towards the door. Her pretty face wasdistorted with anger.
"I do not want your carriage," she said. "I am leaving the house, but Iwill walk."
"Just as you choose, if you only go," Helene murmured.
She was already at the door, but she turned back.
"I can't help it!" she exclaimed. "I've got to ask you a question. HasLord Wolfenden asked you to marry him?"
Helene was disgusted, but she was not hard-hearted. The girl wasevidently distressed--it never occurred to her that she might not be inearnest. She herself could not understand such a lack of self-respect.A single gleam of pity mingled with her contempt.
"I am not at liberty to answer your question," she said coldly, "asit concerns Lord Wolfenden as well as myself. But I have no objectionto telling you this. I am the Princess Helene of Bourbon, and I ambetrothed to my cousin, Prince Henri of Ortrens! So you see that I amnot likely to marry Lord Wolfenden! Now, please, go away at once!"
Miss Merton obeyed. She left the room literally speechless. Helene rangthe bell.
"If that young person--Miss Merton I think her name is--attempts to seeme again before I leave, be sure that she is not admitted," she told theservant.
The man bowed and left the room. Helene was left alone. She sank intoan easy chair by the fire and leaned her head upon her hand. Herself-control was easy and magnificent, but now that she was alone herface had softened. The proud, little mouth was quivering. A feeling ofuneasiness, of utter depression stole over her. Tears stood for a momentin her eyes but she brushed them fiercely away.
"How could he have dared?" she murmured. "I wish that I were a man!After all, then, it must be--ambition!"