"And in regard to that, there is of course one thing that troubles me"--he resumed--"one thing in which I beg you to take my advice"--
Delia breathed quick.
"Gertrude Marvell?" she said. "Of course I knew that was coming!"
"Yes. That we must settle, I think." He kept his eyes upon her. "You can hardly know that she is mentioned by name in your father"s last letter--the letter to me---as the one person whose companionship he dreaded for you--the one person he hoped you would consent to part from."
Delia had turned white.
"No--I didn"t know."
"For that reason, and for others, I do entreat you"--he went on, earnestly--"not to keep her here. Miss Marvell may be all that you believe her. I have nothing to say against her,--except this. I am told by those who know that she is already quite notorious in the militant movement. She has been in prison, and she has made extremely violent speeches, advocating what Miss Marvell calls war, and what plain people call--crime. That she should live with you here would not only prejudice your future, and divide you from people who should be your natural friends; it would be an open disrespect to your father"s memory."
There was silence. Then Delia said, evidently mastering her excitement with difficulty.
"I can"t help it. She _must_ stay with me. n.o.body need know--about my father. Her name is not mentioned in the will."
"No. That is true. But his letter to me as your guardian and trustee ought to be regarded equitably as part of the will; and I do not see how it would be possible for me to acquiesce in something so directly contrary to his last wishes. I beg you to look at it from my point of view--"
"I do"--said Delia, flushing again. "But my letter warned you--"
"Yes--but I felt on receiving it that you could not possibly be aware of the full strength of your father"s feeling. Let me read you his words."
He took an envelope from his pocket, observing her. Delia hastily interposed.
"Don"t, Mr. Winnington!--I"m sure I know."
"It is really my duty to read it to you," he said, courteously but firmly.
She endured it. The only sign of agitation she shewed was the trembling of her hands on the back of the chair she leant upon. And when he returned it to his pocket, she considered for a moment or two, before she said, breathing unevenly, and stumbling a little.--
"That makes no difference, Mr. Winnington. I expect you think me a monster. All the same I loved my father in my own way. But I am not going to barter away my freedom for anything or anyone. I am not part of my father, I am myself. And he is not here to be injured or hurt by anything I do. I intend to stick to Gertrude Marvell--and she to me."
And having delivered her ultimatum, she stood like a young G.o.ddess, expectant and defiant.
Winnington"s manner changed. He straightened himself, with a slight shake of his broad shoulders, and went to look out of the window at the end of the room. Delia was left to contemplate the back of a very tall man in a serge suit and to rate herself for the thrill--or the trepidation--she could not help feeling. What would he say when he spoke again? She was angry with herself that she could not quite truthfully say that she did not care.
When he returned, she divined another man. The tone was as courteous as ever, but the first relation between them had disappeared; or rather it had become a business relation, a relation of affairs.
"You will of course understand--that I cannot _acquiesce_ in that arrangement?"
Delia"s uncomfortable sense of humor found vent in a laugh--as civil however as she could make it.
"I do understand. But I don"t quite see what you can do, Mr.
Winnington!"
He smiled--quite pleasantly.
"Nor do I--just yet. But of course Miss Marvell will not expect that your father"s estate should provide her with the salary that would naturally fall to a chaperon whom your guardian could approve?"
"I shall see to that. We shall not trouble you," said Delia, rather fiercely.
"And I shall ask to see Miss Marvell before I go this morning--that I may point out to her the impropriety of remaining here against your father"s express wishes."
Delia nodded.
"All right--but it won"t do any good."
He made no reply, except to turn immediately to the subject of her place of residence and her allowance.
"It is I believe understood that you will live mainly here--at Maumsey."
"On the contrary!--I wish to spend a great part of the winter in London."
"With Miss Marvell?"
"Certainly."
"I cannot, I am afraid, let you expect that I shall provide the money."
"It is my own money!"
"Not legally. I hate insisting on these things; but perhaps you ought to know that the _whole_ of your father"s property--everything that he left behind him, is in trust."
"Which means"--cried Delia, quivering again--"that I am really a pauper!--that I own nothing but my clothes--barely those!"
He felt himself a brute. "Can I really keep this up!" he thought.
Aloud, he said--"If you would only make it a little easy for your trustee, he would be only too thankful to follow out your wishes!"
Delia made no reply, and Winnington took another turn up and down before he paused in front of her with the words:--
"Can"t we come to a compact? If I agree to London--say for six or seven weeks--is there no promise you can make me in return?"
With an inward laugh Delia remembered Gertrude"s injunction to "keep something to bargain with."
"I don"t know"--she said, reluctantly. "What sort of promise do you want?"
"I want one equal to the concession you ask me to make," he said gravely. "In my eyes nothing could be more unfitting than that you should be staying in London--during a time of particularly violent agitation--under the chaperonage of Miss Marvell, who is already committed to this agitation. If I agree to such a direct contradiction of your father"s wishes, I must at least have your a.s.surance that you will do nothing violent or illegal, either down here or in London, and that in this house above all you will take some pains to respect Sir Robert"s wishes. That I am sure you will promise me?"
She could not deny the charm of his direct appealing look, and she hesitated.
"I was going to have a drawing-room meeting here as soon as possible"--she said, slowly.
"On behalf of the "Daughters of Revolt"?"
She silently a.s.sented.
"I may feel sure--may I not?--that you will give it up?"