IX
Lord Theign, when he had gone, revolved--it might have beennervously--about the place a little, but soon broke ground. "He'll havetold you, I understand, that I've promised to speak to you for him. ButI understand also that he has found something to say for himself."
"Yes, we talked--a while since," the girl said. "At least _he_ did."
"Then if you listened I hope you listened with a good grace."
"Oh, he speaks very well--and I've never disliked him."
It pulled her father up. "Is that _all_--when I think so much of him?"
She seemed to say that she had, to her own mind, been liberal and gonefar; but she waited a little. "Do you think very, _very_ much?"
"Surely I've made my good opinion clear to you!"
Again she had a pause. "Oh yes, I've seen you like him and believe inhim--and I've found him pleasant and clever."
"He has never had," Lord Theign more or less ingeniously explained,"what I call a real show." But the character under discussion couldafter all be summed up without searching analysis. "I considernevertheless that there's plenty in him."
It was a moderate claim, to which Lady Grace might assent. "He strikesme as naturally quick and--well, nice. But I agree with you than hehasn't had a chance."
"Then if you can see your way by sympathy and confidence to help him toone I dare say you'll find your reward."
For a third time she considered, as if a certain curtness in hercompanion's manner rather hindered, in such a question, than helped.Didn't he simplify too much, you would have felt her ask, and wasn'this visible wish for brevity of debate a sign of his uncomfortable andindeed rather irritated sense of his not making a figure in it? "Do youdesire it very particularly?" was, however, all she at last brought out.
"I should like it exceedingly--if you act from conviction. Then ofcourse only; but of one thing I'm myself convinced--of what he thinks ofyourself and feels for you."
"Then would you mind my waiting a little?" she asked. "I mean to beabsolutely sure of myself." After which, on his delaying to agree, sheadded frankly, as to help her case: "Upon my word, father, I should liketo do what would please you."
But it determined in him a sharper impatience. "Ah, what would please_me!_ Don't put it off on 'me'! Judge absolutely for yourself"--heslightly took himself up--"in the light of my having consented to do forhim what I always _hate_ to do: deviate from my normal practice of neverintermeddling. If I've deviated now you can judge. But to do so allround, of course, take--in reason!--your time."
"May I ask then," she said, "for still a little more?"
He looked for this, verily, as if it was not in reason. "You know," hethen returned, "what he'll feel that a sign of."
"Well, I'll tell him what I mean."
"Then I'll send him to you."
He glanced at his watch and was going, but after a "Thanks, father," shehad stopped him. "There's one thing more." An embarrassment showed inher manner, but at the cost of some effect of earnest abruptness shesurmounted it. "What does your American--Mr. Bender--want?"
Lord Theign plainly felt the challenge. "'My' American? He's none ofmine!"
"Well then Lord John's."
"He's none of his either--more, I mean, than any one else's. He's everyone's American, literally--to all appearance; and I've not to tell_you_, surely, with the freedom of your own visitors, how people stalkin and out here."
"No, father--certainly," she said. "You're splendidly generous."
His eyes seemed rather sharply to ask her then how he could improve onthat; but he added as if it were enough: "What the man must by this timewant more than anything else is his car."
"Not then anything of ours?" she still insisted.
"Of 'ours'?" he echoed with a frown. "Are you afraid he has an eye tosomething of _yours?_"
"Why, if we've a new treasure--which we certainly have if we possessa Mantovano--haven't we all, even I, an immense interest in it?" Andbefore he could answer, "Is _that_ exposed?" she asked.
Lord Theign, a little unready, cast about at his storied halls; anyillusion to the "exposure" of the objects they so solidly sheltered wasobviously unpleasant to him. But then it was as if he found at astroke both his own reassurance and his daughter's. "How can there be aquestion of it when he only wants Sir Joshuas?"
"He wants ours?" the girl gasped.
"At absolutely any price."
"But you're not," she cried, "discussing it?"
He hesitated as between chiding and contenting her--then he handsomelychose. "My dear child, for what do you take me?" With which heimpatiently started, through the long and stately perspective, for thesaloon.
She sank into a chair when he had gone; she sat there some moments in avisible tension of thought, her hands clasped in her lap and her droppedeyes fixed and unperceiving; but she sprang up as Hugh Crimble, insearch of her, again stood before her. He presented himself as withwinged sandals.
"What luck to find you! I must take my spin back."
"You've seen everything as you wished?"
"Oh," he smiled, "I've seen wonders."
She showed her pleasure. "Yes, we've got some things."
"So Mr. Bender says!" he laughed. "You've got five or six--"
"Only five or six?" she cried in bright alarm.
"'Only'?" he continued to laugh. "Why, that's enormous, five or sixthings of the first importance! But I think I ought to mention to you,"he added, "a most barefaced 'Rubens' there in the library."
"It isn't a Rubens?"
"No more than I'm a Ruskin."
"Then you'll brand us--expose us for it?"
"No, I'll let you off--I'll be quiet if you're good, if you go straight.I'll only hold it _in terrorem_. One can't be sure in these dreadfuldays--that's always to remember; so that if you're not good I'll comedown on you with it. But to balance against that threat," he went on,"I've made the very grandest find. At least I believe I have!"
She was all there for this news. "Of the Manto-vano--hidden in the otherthing?"
Hugh wondered--almost as if she had been before him. "You don't mean tosay _you've_ had the idea of that?"
"No, but my father has told me."
"And is your father," he eagerly asked, "really gratified?"
With her conscious eyes on him--her eyes could clearly be very consciousabout her father--she considered a moment. "He always prefers oldassociations and appearances to new; but I'm sure he'll resign himselfif you see your way to a certainty."
"Well, it will be a question of the weight of expert opinion that Ishall invoke. But I'm not afraid," he resolutely said, "and I shallmake the thing, from its splendid rarity, the crown and flower of yourglory."
Her serious face shone at him with a charmed gratitude. "It's awfullybeautiful then your having come to us so. It's awfully beautiful yourhaving brought us this way, in a flash--as dropping out of a chariotof fire--more light and what you apparently feel with myself as morehonour."
"Ah, the beauty's in your having yourself done it!" he returned. Hegave way to the positive joy of it. "If I've brought the 'light' and therest--that's to say the very useful information--who in the world was itbrought _me?_"
She had a gesture of protest "You'd have come in some other way."
"I'm not so sure! I'm beastly shy--little as I may seem to show it: savein great causes, when I'm horridly bold and hideously offensive. Nowat any rate I only know what _has_ been." She turned off for it, movingaway from him as with a sense of mingled things that made for unrest;and he had the next moment grown graver under the impression. "But doesanything in it all," he asked, "trouble you?"
She faced about across the wider space, and there was a different notein what she brought out. "I don't know what forces me so to _tell_ youthings."
"'Tell' me?" he stared. "Why, you've told me nothing more monstrous thanthat I've been welcome!"
"Well, however that may be, what did you mean just now by the chance ofour not 'going straight'? When you s
aid you'd expose our bad--or is itour false?--Rubens in the event of a certain danger."
"Oh, in the event of your ever being bribed"--he laughed again as withrelief. And then as her face seemed to challenge the word: "Why, to letanything--of your best!--ever leave Dedborough. By which I mean reallyof course leave the country." She turned again on this, and somethingin her air made him wonder. "I hope you don't feel there _is_ such adanger? I understood from you half an hour ago that it was unthinkable."
"Well, it _was_, to me, half an hour ago," she said as she came nearer."But if it has since come up?"
"'If' it has! But _has_ it? In the form of that monster? What Mr. Benderwants is the great Duchess," he recalled.
"And my father won't sell _her_? No, he won't sell the greatDuchess--there I feel safe. But he greatly needs a certain sum ofmoney--or he thinks he does--and I've just had a talk with him."
"In which he has told you that?"
"He has told me nothing," Lady Grace said--"or else told me quite otherthings. But the more I think of them the more it comes to me that hefeels urged or tempted--"
"To despoil and denude these walls?" Hugh broke in, looking about in hissharper apprehension.
"Yes, to satisfy, to save my sister. _Now_ do you think our state soideal?" she asked--but without elation for her hint of triumph.
He had no answer for this save "Ah, but you terribly interest me. May Iask what's the matter with your sister?"
Oh, she wanted to go on straight now! "The matter is--in the firstplace--that she's too dazzlingly, dreadfully beautiful."
"More beautiful than you?" his sincerity easily risked.
"Millions of times." Sad, almost sombre, she hadn't a shade of coquetry."Kitty has debts--great heaped-up gaming debts."
"But to such amounts?"
"Incredible amounts it appears. And mountains of others too. She throwsherself all on our father."
"And he _has_ to pay them? There's no one else?" Hugh asked.
She waited as if he might answer himself, and then as he apparentlydidn't, "He's only afraid there _may_ be some else--that's how she makeshim do it," she said. And "Now do you think," she pursued, "that I don'ttell you things?"
He turned them over in his young perception and pity, the things shetold him. "Oh, oh, oh!" And then, in the great place, while as, justspent by the effort of her disclosure, she moved from him again, hetook them all in. "That's the situation that, as you say, may force hishand."
"It absolutely, I feel, does force it." And the renewal of her appealbrought her round. "Isn't it too lovely?"
His frank disgust answered. "It's too damnable!"
"And it's you," she quite terribly smiled, "who--by the 'irony offate'!--have given him help."
He smote his head in the light of it. "By the Mantovano?"
"By the possible Mantovano--as a substitute for the impossible SirJoshua. You've made him aware of a value."
"Ah, but the value's to be fixed!"
"Then Mr. Bender will fix it!"
"Oh, but--as he himself would say--I'll fix Mr. Bender!" Hugh declared."And he won't buy a pig in a poke."
This cleared the air while they looked at each other; yet she hadalready asked: "What in the world can you do, and how in the world canyou do it?"
Well, he was too excited for decision. "I don't quite see now, but giveme time." And he took out his watch as already to measure it. "Oughtn'tI before I go to say a word to Lord Theign?"
"Is it your idea to become a lion in his path?"
"Well, say a cub--as that's what I'm afraid he'll call me! But I think Ishould speak to him."
She drew a conclusion momentarily dark. "He'll have to learn in thatcase that I've told you of my fear."
"And is there any good reason why he shouldn't?"
She kept her eyes on him and the darkness seemed to clear. "No!" she atlast replied, and, having gone to touch an electric bell, was with himagain. "But I think I'm rather sorry for you."
"Does that represent a reason why I should be so for you?"
For a little she said nothing; but after that: "None whatever!"
"Then is the sister of whom you speak Lady Imber?"
Lady Grace, at this, raised her hand in caution: the butler had arrived,with due gravity, in answer to her ring; to whom she made known herdesire. "Please say to his lordship--in the saloon or wherever--thatMr. Crimble must go." When Banks had departed, however, accepting theresponsibility of this mission, she answered her friend's question. "Thesister of whom I speak is Lady Imber."
"She loses then so heavily at bridge?"
"She loses more than she wins."
Hugh gazed as with interest at these oddities of the great. "And yet shestill plays?"
"What else, in her set, should she do?"
This he was quite unable to say; but he could after a moment'sexhibition of the extent to which he was out of it put a questioninstead. "So _you're_ not in her set?"
"I'm not in her set."
"Then decidedly," he said, "I don't want to save her. I only want--"
He was going on, but she broke in: "I know what you want!"
He kept his eyes on her till he had made sure--and this deep exchangebetween them had a beauty. "So you're now _with_ me?"
"I'm now _with_ you!"
"Then," said Hugh, "shake hands on it"
He offered her his hand, she took it, and their grasp became, as youwould have seen in their fine young faces, a pledge in which they stooda minute locked. Lord Theign came upon them from the saloon in the midstof the process; on which they separated as with an air of its havingconsisted but of Hugh's leave-taking. With some such form of merecivility, at any rate, he appeared, by the manner in which he addressedhimself to Hugh, to have supposed them occupied.
"I'm sorry my daughter can't keep you; but I must at least thank you foryour interesting view of my picture."
Hugh indulged in a brief and mute, though very grave, acknowledgment ofthis expression; presently speaking, however, as on a resolve taken witha sense of possibly awkward consequences: "May I--before you're sure ofyour indebtedness--put you rather a straight question, Lord Theign?" Itsounded doubtless, and of a sudden, a little portentous--as was in facttestified to by his lordship's quick stiff stare, full of wonder atso free a note. But Hugh had the courage of his undertaking. "If Icontribute in ny modest degree to establishing the true authorship ofthe work you speak of, may I have from you an assurance that my successisn't to serve as a basis for any peril--or possibility--of its leavingthe country?"
Lord Theign was visibly astonished, but had also, independently of this,turned a shade pale. "You ask of me an 'assurance'?"
Hugh had now, with his firmness and his strained smile, quite the lookof having counted the cost of his step. "I'm afraid I _must_, you see."
It pressed at once in his host the spring of a very grand manner. "Andpray by what right here do you do anything of the sort?"
"By the right of a person from whom you, on your side, are accepting aservice."
Hugh had clearly determined in his opponent a rise of what is calledspirit. "A service that you half an hour ago thrust on me, sir--andwith which you may take it from me that I'm already quite prepared todispense."
"I'm sorry to appear indiscreet," our young man returned; "I'm sorry tohave upset you in any way. But I can't overcome my anxiety--"
Lord Theign took the words from his lips. "And you therefore inviteme--at the end of half an hour in this house!--to account to you for mypersonal intentions and my private affairs and make over my freedom toyour hands?"
Hugh stood there with his eyes on the black and white pavement thatstretched about him--the great loz-enged marble floor that might havefigured that ground of his own vision which he had made up his mind to"stand." "I can only see the matter as I see it, and I should be ashamednot to have seized any chance to appeal to you." Whatever difficulty hehad had shyly to face didn't exist for him now. "I entreat you to thinkagain, to think _well_, before y
ou deprive us of such a source of justenvy."
"And you regard your entreaty as helped," Lord Theign asked, "by thebeautiful threat you are so good as to attach to it?" Then as hismonitor, arrested, exchanged a searching look with Lady Grace, who,showing in her face all the pain of the business, stood off at thedistance to which a woman instinctively retreats when a scene turns toviolence as precipitately as this one appeared to strike her as havingturned: "I ask you that not less than I should like to know whom youspeak of as 'deprived' of property that happens--for reasons that Idon't suppose you also quarrel with!--to be mine."
"Well, I know nothing about threats, Lord Theign," Hugh said, "but Ispeak of _all_ of us--of all the people of England; who would deeplydeplore such an act of alienation, and whom, for the interest they bearyou, I beseech you mercifully to consider."
"The interest they bear me?"--the master of Dedborough fairly bristledwith wonder. "Pray how the devil do they show it?"
"I think they show it in all sorts of ways"--and Hugh's critical smile,at almost any moment hovering, played over the question in a mannerseeming to convey that he meant many things.
"Understand then, please," said Lord Theign with every inch of hisauthority, "that they'll show it best by minding their own businesswhile I very particularly mind mine."
"You simply do, in other words," Hugh explicitly concluded, "whathappens to be convenient to you."
"In very distinct preference to what happens to be convenient to _you!_So that I need no longer detain you," Lord Theign added with the lastdryness and as if to wind up their brief and thankless connection.
The young man took his dismissal, being able to do no less, while,unsatisfied and unhappy, he looked about mechanically for thecycling-cap he had laid down somewhere in the hall on his arrival."I apologise, my lord, if I seem to you to have ill repaid yourhospitality. But," he went on with his uncommended cheer, "my interestin your picture remains."
Lady Grace, who had stopped and strayed and stopped again as a merewatchful witness, drew nearer hereupon, breaking her silence for thefirst time. "And please let me say, father, that mine also grows andgrows."
It was obvious that this parent, surprised and disconcerted by her tone,judged her contribution superfluous. "I'm happy to hear it, Grace--butyours is another affair."
"I think on the contrary that it's quite the same one," shereturned--"since it's on my hint to him that Mr. Crimble has said toyou what he has." The resolution she had gathered while she awaited herchance sat in her charming eyes, which met, as she spoke, the straighterpaternal glare. "I let him know that I supposed you to think ofprofiting by the importance of Mr. Bender's visit."
"Then you might have spared, my dear, your--I suppose and hopewell-meant--interpretation of my mind." Lord Theign showed himself atthis point master of the beautiful art of righting himself as withouthaving been in the wrong. "Mr. Bender's visit will terminate--as soonas he has released Lord John--without my having profited in the smallestparticular."
Hugh meanwhile evidently but wanted to speak for his friend. "It wasLady Grace's anxious inference, she will doubtless let me say for her,that my idea about the Moretto would add to your power--well," he pushedon not without awkwardness, "of 'realising' advantageously on such aprospective rise."
Lord Theign glanced at him as for positively the last time, but spoke toLady Grace. "Understand then, please, that, as I detach myself from anyassociation with this gentleman's ideas--whether about the Moretto orabout anything else--his further application of them ceases from thismoment to concern us."
The girl's rejoinder was to address herself directly to Hugh, acrosstheir companion. "Will you make your inquiry for _me_ then?"
The light again kindled in him. "With all the pleasure in life!" Hehad found his cap and, taking them together, bowed to the two, fordeparture, with high emphasis of form. Then he marched off in thedirection from which he had entered.
Lord Theign scarce waited for his disappearance to turn in wrath toLady Grace. "I denounce the indecency, wretched child, of your publicdefiance of me!"
They were separated by a wide interval now, and though at her distanceshe met his reproof so unshrinkingly as perhaps to justify the termsinto which it had broken, she became aware of a reason for his notfollowing it up. She pronounced in quick warning "Lord John!"--fortheir friend, released from among the pictures, was rejoining them, wasalready there.
He spoke straight to his host on coming into sight. "Bender's at lastoff, but"--he indicated the direction of the garden front--"you maystill find him, out yonder, prolonging the agony with Lady Sand-gate."
Lord Theign remained a moment, and the heat of his resentment remained.He looked with a divided discretion, the pain of his indecision, fromhis daughter's suitor and his approved candidate to that contumaciousyoung woman and back again; then choosing his course in silence he hada gesture of almost desperate indifference and passed quickly out by thedoor to the terrace.
It had left Lord John gaping. "What on earth's the matter with yourfather?"
"What on earth indeed?" Lady Grace unaidingly asked. "Is he discussingwith that awful man?"
"Old Bender? Do you think him so awful?" Lord John showedsurprise--which might indeed have passed for harmless amusement; but heshook everything off in view of a nearer interest. He quite waved oldBender away. "My dear girl, what do _we_ care--?"
"I care immensely, I assure you," she interrupted, "and I ask of you,please, to tell me!"
Her perversity, coming straight and which he had so little expected,threw him back so that he looked at her with sombre eyes. "Ah, it's notfor such a matter I'm here, Lady Grace--I'm here with that fond questionof my own." And then as she turned away, leaving him with a vehementmotion of protest: "I've come for your kind answer--the answer yourfather instructed me to count on."
"I've no kind answer to give you!"--she raised forbidding hands. "Ientreat you to leave me alone."
There was so high a spirit and so strong a force in it that he stared asif stricken by violence. "In God's name then what has happened--when youalmost gave me your word?"
"What has happened is that I've found it impossible to listen to you."And she moved as if fleeing she scarce knew whither before him.
He had already hastened around another way, however, as to meet her inher quick circuit of the hall. "That's all you've got to say to me afterwhat has passed between us?"
He had stopped her thus, but she had also stopped him, and herpassionate denial set him a limit. "I've got to say--sorry as I am--thatif you _must_ have an answer it's this: that never, Lord John, never,can there be anything more between us." And her gesture cleared herpath, permitting her to achieve her flight. "Never, no, never," sherepeated as she went--"never, never, never!" She got off by the door atwhich she had been aiming to some retreat of her own, while aghast anddefeated, left to make the best of it, he sank after a moment into achair and remained quite pitiably staring before him, appealing to thegreat blank splendour.
BOOK SECOND