"No, no," said Beresford, hastily. "Realy you must allow me I must inform him myself. I am sure you can see why. This is a thing for men to settle. Besides, it is a delacate matter. Mr. Archibald is trying to get the Order, and our New York office, if I am willing, is ready to place it with him."
"Well!" said Leila, in a thunderstruck tone. "If you British don"t beat anything for keeping your own Counsel!"
I could see that he had her hand under the table. It was sickning.
Jane came to see me after lunch. The wedding was that night, and I had to sit through silver vegatable dishes, and after-dinner coffee sets and plates and a grand piano and a set of gold vazes and a cabushon saphire and the bridesmaid"s clothes and the wedding supper and heaven knows what. But at last she said:
"You dear thing--how weary and wan you look!"
I closed my eyes.
"But you don"t intend to give him up, do you?"
"Look at me!" I said, in imperious tones. "Do I look like one who would give him up, because of Familey objections?"
"How brave you are!" she observed. "Bab, I am green with envy. When I think of the way he looked at you, and the tones of his voice when he made love to that--that creature, I am posatively SHAKEN."
We sat in somber silence. Then she said:
"I darsay he detests the Heroine, doesn"t he?"
"He tolarates her," I said, with a shrug.
More silense. I rang for Hannah to bring some ice water. We were in my BOUDOIR.
"I saw him yesterday," said Jane, when Hannah had gone.
"Jane!"
"In the park. He was with the woman that plays the Adventuress. Ugly old thing."
I drew a long breath of relief. For I knew that the Adventuress was at least thirty and perhaps more. Besides being both wicked and cruel, and not at all femanine.
Hannah brought the ice-water and then came in the most madening way and put her hand on my Forehead.
"I"ve done nothing but bring you ice-water for to days," she said. "Your head"s hot. I think you need a musterd foot bath and to go to bed."
"Hannah," Jane said, in her loftyest fashion, "Miss Barbara is woried, not ill. And please close the door when you go out."
Which was her way of telling Hannah to go. Hannah glared at her.
"If you take my advice, Miss Jane," she said. "You"ll keep away from Miss Barbara."
And she went out, slaming the door.
"Well!" gasped Jane. "Such impertanence. Old servant or not, she ought to have her mouth slaped."
Well, I told Jane the plan and she was perfectly crazy about it. I had a headache, but she helped me into my street things, and got Sis"s rose hat for me while Sis was at the telephone. Then we went out.
First we telephoned Carter Brooks, and he said tomorrow morning would do, and he"d give a couple of reporters the word to hang around father"s office at the mill. He said to have Adrian there at ten o"clock.
"Are you sure your father will do it?" he asked. "We don"t want a flivver, you know."
"He"s making a princ.i.p.al of it," I said. "When he makes a princ.i.p.al of a thing, he does it."
"Good for father!" Carter said. "Tell him not to be to gentle. And tell your Actor-friend to make a lot of fuss. The more the better. I"ll see the Policeman at the mill, and he"ll probably take him up. But we"ll get him out for the matinee. And watch the evening papers."
It was then that a terrable thought struck me. What if Adrian considered it beneath his profession to advertize, even if indirectly? What if he prefered the failure of Miss Everett"s couzin"s play to a bruize on the eye? What, in short, if he refused?
Dear Dairy, I was stupafied. I knew not which way to turn. For Men are not like Women, who are dependible and anxious to get along, and will sacrifise anything for Success. No, men are likely to turn on the ones they love best, if the smallest Things do not suit them, such as cold soup, or sleaves to long from the shirt-maker, or plans made which they have not been consulted about beforhand.
"Darling!" said Jane, as I turned away, "you look STRICKEN!"
"My head aches," I said, with a weary gesture toward my forehead. It did ache, for that matter. It is acheing now, dear Dairy.
However, I had begun my task and must go through with it. Abandoning Jane at a corner, in spite of her calling me cruel and even sneeking, I went to Adrian"s hotel, which I had learned of during my SEANCE in his room while he was changing his garments behind a screan, as it was marked on a dressing case.
It was then five o"clock.
How nervous I felt as I sent up my name to his chamber. Oh, dear Dairy, to think that it was but five hours ago that I sat and waited, while people who guessed not the inner trepadation of my heart past and repast, and glansed at me and at Leila"s pink hat above.
At last he came. My heart beat thunderously, as he aproached, strideing along in that familiar walk, swinging his strong and tender arms. And I!
I beheld him coming and could think of not a word to say.
"Well!" he said, pausing in front of me. "I knew I was going to be lucky today. Friday is my best day."
"I was born on Friday," I said. I could think of nothing else.
"Didn"t I say it was my lucky day? But you mustn"t sit here. What do you say to a cup of tea in the restarant?"
How grown up and like a DEBUTANTE I felt, dear Dairy, going to have tea as if I had it every day at School, with a handsome actor across!
Although somwhat uneasy also, owing to the posibility of the Familey coming in. But it did not and I had a truly happy hour, not at all spoiled by looking out the window and seeing Jane going by, with her eyes popping out, and walking very slowly so I would invite her to come in.
WHICH I DID NOT.
Dear Dairy, HE WILL DO IT. At first he did not understand, and looked astounded. But when I told him of Carter being in the advertizing busness, and father owning a large mill, and that there would be reporters and so on, he became thoughtfull.
"It"s realy incredably clever," he said. "And if it"s pulled off right it ought to be a Stampede. But I"d like to see Mr. Brooks. We can"t have it fail, you know." He leaned over the table. "It"s straight goods, is it, Miss er--Barbara? There"s nothing foney about it?"
"Foney!" I said, drawing back. "Certainly not."
He kept on leaning over the table.
"I wonder," he said, "what makes you so interested in the Play?"
Oh, Dairy, Dairy!
And just then I looked up, and the Adventuress was staring in the door at me with the MEANEST look on her face.