He kissed her hand again, then, aware that the place was too public for him to take her in his arms, suppressed his feelings. Side by side they sat in a stiff kind of way, while each longed for demonstrations which the situation forbade. It was decidedly uncomfortable to be thus conventional. But it was just as well that they thus came to an understanding in the eye of the sun, as the self-control was quite an education.
"One would think we were a couple of old married people, sitting side by side in this stiff manner," said Montrose with a vexed laugh. "I should like to be a Sabine and carry you away by force."
"Perhaps you will have to do so," said Alice, thinking of Don Pablo. "My father will never consent to my becoming your wife."
Montrose looked amazed and anxious. "Why not? There is nothing against my character and position," he said rapidly, "and as I have inherited Lady Staunton"s money, your father will be glad that I should bring it into the Enistor family again by making you my wife."
"I don"t think my father cares anything about the money," said Alice, ignorant of her parent"s true feelings. "He wants me to marry Don Pablo."
"A Spaniard. Who is he?"
"A Spaniard, as you have said. He is my father"s greatest friend."
"Young and handsome and wealthy?"
"Wealthy, certainly. But very ugly, just like a mummy, and as old as the hills--older, I believe. He must be eighty."
"Then why does your father wish you to marry him?"
"Because Don Pablo is rich."
"Well, I am rich also. Five thousand a year is riches."
"Don Pablo has more, I fancy."
"I don"t care what he has. He hasn"t got you for a wife and he never will have. You will marry me and no one else."
"Yes, I promise you that, Douglas. But there will be trouble."
"Pooh!" Montrose laughed joyously. "I"d face a universe of trouble if you were the prize to be obtained by enduring it. Besides, Eberstein says that we belong to one another."
"How does he know?"
"He knows many things that are strange and true. When he comes back he will explain. He promised to do so. Meantime, all we have to do is to be true to one another. We are engaged. Say we are engaged, Alice."
"Yes. We are engaged. I shall marry no one but you."
"Hurrah! Then we shall be happy for ever and ever----"
"Amen," said the girl thankfully. "All the same, I fear Don Pablo."
Montrose tucked her arm within his own. "We are together," he said.
"Unity is strength. You understand, dear!" And Alice did understand, smiling happily.
"It is the birthday of the soul," she said; "of your soul and mine, which are one."
CHAPTER IX
THE WARNING
Mindful that a premature engagement might lead to gossip, Montrose and his beloved acted with great discretion. They gave vent to their ardent feelings in private, and behaved prudently in public. Certainly the young man paid many visits to Mrs. Barrast"s house, and was markedly attentive to her visitor. But it was natural that a bachelor should admire a pretty maid, so people merely remarked indulgently that evidently Montrose was falling in love with Miss Enistor. They little knew that the inevitable had already happened, and in a scandalously short s.p.a.ce of time. Mrs. Barrast, with a shrewdness which did her credit, guessed that the couple understood one another better than they would admit; but even she did not guess how far matters had gone. She would have been annoyed had she really known the truth, not because of the private engagement, but for the simple reason that she had not been admitted into the confidence of the lovers. As it was, all she saw led her to believe that Montrose was conventionally approaching her guest with a view to marriage, and quite approved of his intentions. Therefore she welcomed him to the house, and made use of him and his money. It was only right, she thought, that he should pay for her kindness in forwarding his aims.
And the payment took the form of Mrs. Barrast plundering Montrose on all and every occasion. Frederick supplied her with ample funds for her frivolity, but Mrs. Barrast always wanted more than she could reasonably obtain, and cleverly got what she desired from Douglas. As both lovers were in deep mourning for Lady Staunton, the aunt of one and the benefactress of the other, they did not take much part in the gaieties of the waning season. All the same, Mrs. Barrast made Montrose give her concert tickets and boxes at theatres, which she used freely for herself and her friends. And as on these occasions she usually left Alice to entertain the donor in the Hans Crescent house, the young man was quite willing to be lavish in this direction. Indeed, he was in others also, for he supplied the b.u.t.terfly with flowers and scent and gloves and similar trifles, which every woman likes to have and which no woman likes to pay for. Alice did not object at the outset to this generosity, as it was necessary to keep Mrs. Barrast in a good temper; but in the end she protested against such wholesale robbery.
"You will ruin Mr. Montrose if you take everything he gives you," she said to Amy, two weeks after that momentous agreement in Kensington Gardens.
"Oh, nonsense!" replied Mrs. Barrast airily. "The man has got more money than he knows what to do with. It"s a man"s duty to be agreeable. But of course, dear, if you are jealous----"
"I--jealous?"
Mrs. Barrast shrugged her elegant shoulders. "Well, my dear, it looks like it, you know. You needn"t be if you are, I"m sure, for I can"t marry him, and I have no intention of running away with the dear thing."
"He wouldn"t run away with you if you wanted to," said Alice crossly, and could have bitten out her tongue for the speech.
"Really!" Mrs. Barrast t.i.ttered significantly. "Has it gone as far as that?"
"What do you mean?" Alice grew red.
"My dear! You are a woman talking to a woman, so there is no need for you to try and deceive me. You want to marry this charming young fellow!"
"I don"t admit that, Amy."
"Whether you admit it or deny it, what I state is the case."
"You have no right to say so. I like Mr. Montrose. I admire him!"
"Words! Words! Words! You love him. Look at yourself in the gla.s.s, my dear. I think your colour tells the truth."
"What if it does?"
"Ah! Then you admit that I am right?"
Alice saw that it was useless to fence with Mrs. Barrast, who was much too clever to be deceived and far too dangerous to be tampered with.
"Yes! I am in love with--Mr. Montrose."
"Why not say with Douglas?" t.i.ttered the little woman.
"Douglas, if it pleases you."
"My dear, the question is if it pleases _you_ and--him. Am I blind?"
asked Mrs. Barrast dramatically. "Am I a fool? Do you think that during the past three weeks I have left you and that nice boy together without guessing the truth ages and ages ago? I never ask for tickets. He gives them to me to get me out of the way, which"--ended the b.u.t.terfly justly--"is not complimentary to me."
"I don"t mind Mr.--well then, Douglas, giving you boxes at the theatres," said Alice petulantly; "but why take flowers and gloves and----"
"Because I want such things," retorted Mrs. Barrast coolly. "If you are foolish enough not to take presents from him, I don"t see why I should not. But I am glad that we have come to an understanding, dear, as I wish to know if you are in earnest, or if you are merely flirting."