第97章

The waiter at the Langham understood American ways perfectly, and when a young man called between three and four o'clock, asking for Mrs Boncassen, said that Miss Boncassen was at home. The young man took off his hat, brushed up his hair, and followed the waiter up to the sitting-room. The door was opened and the young man was announced. 'Mr Longstaff.'

Miss Boncassen was rather disgusted. She had had enough of this English lover. Why should he have come here after what had occurred yesterday? He ought to have felt that he was absolved from the necessity of making personal inquiries. 'I am glad to see that you got home safe,' she said as she gave him her hand.

'And you too, I hope?'

'Well;--so, so; with my clothes a good deal damaged and my temper rather worse.

'I am so sorry.'

'It should not rain on such days. Mother has gone to church.'

'Oh;--indeed. I like going to church myself sometimes.'

'Do you know?'

'I know what would make me like to go to church.'

'And father is at the Athenaeum. He goes there to do a little light reading in the library on Sunday afternoon.'

'I shall never forget yesterday, Miss Boncassen.'

'You wouldn't if your clothes had been spoilt as mine were.'

'Money will repair that.'

'Well; yes; but when I've had a petticoat flounced particularly to order I don't like to see it ill-used. There are emotions of the heart which money can't touch.'

'Just so;--emotions of the heart. That's the very phrase.'

She was determined if possible to prevent a repetition of the scene which had taken place up at Mrs de Bever's temple. 'All my emotions are about my dress.'

'All?'

'Well; yes; all. I guess I don't care much for eating and drinking.' In saying this she actually contrived to produce something of a nasal twang.'

'Eating and drinking!' said Dolly. 'Of course they are necessities;--and so are clothes.'

'But new things are such ducks!'

'Trousers may be,' said Dolly.

Then she took a prolonged gaze at him, wondering whether he was or was not such a fool as he looked. 'How funny you are,' she said.

'A man does not generally feel funny after going through what I suffered yesterday, Miss Boncassen.'

'Would you mind ringing the bell?'

'Must it be done, quite at once?'

'Quite,--quite,' she said. 'I can do it myself for the matter of that.' and she rang the bell somewhat violently. Dolly sank back again into his seat, remarking in his usual apathetic way that he had intended to obey her behest but had not understood that she was in so great a hurry. 'I am always in a hurry,' she said. 'I like things to be done--sharp.' And she hit the table with a crack. 'Please bring me some iced water,' this of course was addressed to the waiter. 'And a glass for Mr Longstaff.'

'None for me, thank you.'

'Perhaps you'd like a soda and brandy?'

'Oh dear no;--nothing of the kind. But I am much obliged to you all the same.' As the water-bottle was in fact standing in the room, and as the waiter had only to hand the glass all this created by little obstacle. Still it had its effect, and Dolly, when the man retired, felt that there was a difficulty in proceeding. 'I have called today--' he began.

'That has been very kind of you. But mother has gone to church.'

'I am very glad she has gone to church, because I wish to--'

'Oh laws! There's a horse tumbled down in the street. I heard it.'

'He has got up again,' said Dolly, looking leisurely out of the window. 'But as I was saying--'

'I don't think the water we Americans drink can be good. It makes the women become ugly so young.'

'You will never become ugly.'

She got up and curtsied him, and then, still standing, make him a speech. 'Mr Longstaff, it would be absurd of me to pretend not to understand what you mean. But I won't have any more of it. Whether you are making fun of me, or whether you are in earnest, it is just the same.'

'Making fun of you!'

'It does not signify. I don't care which it is. But I won't have it. There!'

'A gentleman should be allowed to express his feelings and to explain his position.'

'You have expressed and explained more than enough, and I won't have any more. If you will sit down and talk about something else, or else go away, there shall be an end of it;--but if you go on, I will ring the bell again. What can a man gain by going on when a girl has spoken as I have done?' They were both at this time standing up, and he was now as angry as she was.

'I've paid you the greatest compliment a man can pay a woman,' he began.

'Very well. If I remember rightly I thanked you for it yesterday.

If you wish it, I will thank you again today. But it is a compliment which becomes very much the reverse if it be repeated too often. You are sharp enough to understand that I have done everything in my power to save us both from this trouble.'

'What makes you so fierce, Miss Boncassen?'

'What makes you so foolish?'

'I suppose it must be something peculiar to American ladies.'

'Just that;--something peculiar to American ladies. They don't like;--well; I don't want to say anything more that can be called fierce.'

At this moment the door was again opened and Lord Silverbridge was announced. 'Halloa, Dolly, are you here?'

'It seems that I am.'

'And I am here too,' said Miss Boncassen, smiling her prettiest.

'None the worse for yesterday's troubles, I hope?'

'A good deal the worse. I have been explaining all that to Mr Longstaff who has been quite sympathetic with me about my things.'

'A terrible pity that shower,' said Dolly.

'For you,' said Silverbridge, 'because if I remember right, Miss Boncassen was walking with you;--but I was rather glad of it.'

'Lord Silverbridge!'

'I regarded it as a direct interposition of Providence, because you would not dance with me.'

'Any news today, Silverbridge?' asked Dolly.

'Nothing particular. They say that Coalheaver can't run for the Leger.'

'What's the matter?' asked Dolly vigorously.

'Broke down at Ascot. But I daresay it's a lie.'

'Sure to be a lie,' said Dolly. 'What do you think of Madame Scholzdam, Miss Boncassen?'

'I am not a good judge.'