They went to the refreshment-room at the station. It was crowded, but they managed to get a table to themselves. There was a vacant seat at it, and an old gentleman begged to be allowed to occupy it as there was no other in the room. The three chatted while they waited, each hiding him, or her, self beneath the light froth of easy conversation; and people, not accustomed to look on the surface for signs of what is working beneath, would have thought them merry enough. As she began to know her companions better, Ideala was more and more drawn to Lorrimer.
His brother, who was a dark man, and very different in character, did not attract her.
The old gentleman, meanwhile, was absorbed in his newspaper, and he marked his enjoyment of it by inhaling his breath and exhaling it again in that particular way which is called "blowing like a porpoise."
Lorrimer, by an intelligent glance, expressed what he thought of the peculiarity to Ideala, who remarked: "It is the next gale developing dangerous energy on its way to the North British and Norwegian coasts."
The laugh that followed caused the old gentleman to fold up his paper, and look benignly at the young people over his pince-nez.
It was early in the season, and peas were a rare and forced vegetable.
A small dish of them was brought, and handed to the dangerous gale, who absently took them all.
"You have taken all the peas, sir; allow me to give you all the pepper," said Lorrimer, dexterously suiting the action to the word.
The dangerous gale, though disconcerted at first, was finally moved to mirth.
"Ah, young people! young people!" he said, and sighed--and being a merry and wise old gentleman, he found pleasure in their pleasure, and entered into their mood, little suspecting that Black Care was one of the party, or that a black bruise which would have aroused all the pity and indignation of his honest old heart, had he seen it, was almost under his eyes.
And they all loved him.
Presently he rose to go; but before he departed, he observed, looking kindly at Ideala and Lorrimer; "You"re a handsome pair, my dears! Let me congratulate you; and may your children have the mother"s sweetness and the father"s strength, and may the love you have for each other last for ever--there"s nothing like it. Thank G.o.d for it, and remember Him always--and keep yourselves unspotted from the world." And so saying, he went his way in peace.
"Dear embarra.s.sing old man!" said Lorrimer, regretfully. "I wish I hadn"t spilt the pepper on his plate.
"Is there a chance for Lorrimer?" his brother asked.
But Ideala only stared at him. There was something in his tone that made her feel ill at ease, and brought back the recollection of her misery in a moment. Then all at once she became depressed, and both the young men noticed it.
"I"m afraid you"re rather down about something," Julian said. "You"d better tell us what it is. Perhaps we could cheer you up. And I"m a lawyer, you know. I might be able to help you."
Lorrimer was looking at her, and seemed to wait for her to speak; but she only showed by a change of expression that the fact of his brother being a lawyer possessed a special interest for her.
"If you will trust us," he said at last, "perhaps we _can_ help you."
"I wish I could," she answered, wistfully; "I came to tell you."
"This sounds serious," Julian said, lightly. "You will have to begin at the beginning, you know. Come, Lorrimer, we"ll go down the river. And,"
to Ideala, "you might tell us all about it on the way, you know."
"Yes, come," said Lorrimer. Ideala rose to accompany them without a thought. It all came about so easily that no question of propriety suggested itself--and if any had occurred to her she would probably have considered it an insult to these gentlemen to suppose they would allow her to put herself in a questionable position; and when Julian lit a cigarette without asking her permission, she was surprised.
On the way to the river Ideala"s spirits rose again, and they all talked lightly, making a jest of everything; but while they were waiting for a boat, Julian took up a bunch of charms that were attached to Ideala"s watch-chain and began to examine them coolly, and the unwonted familiarity startled her. With a sudden revulsion of feeling she turned to Lorrimer. She was annoyed by the slight indignity, and also a little frightened. Whatever Lorrimer may have thought of her before, he understood her look now, and his whole manner changed.
Julian left them for a moment. "I _am_ so ashamed of myself," Ideala said. "I have made some dreadful mistake. I have done something wrong."
"I am very sorry for you," he answered, gravely--and then, to his brother, who had returned--"You can go on if you like. I am going back."
"Oh, we can"t go on without you," Ideala inter-posed; "and I would rather go back too."
They began to retrace their steps, and Lorrimer, as they walked, managed, with a few adroit questions, to learn from Ideala that the trouble had something to do with her husband.
"Regy Beaumont is coming to me this afternoon," he said to his brother.
"Would you mind being there to receive him?"
They exchanged glances, and Julian took his leave.
"Now, tell me," Lorrimer said to Ideala.
But an unconquerable fit of shyness came over her the moment they were left alone together. "I cannot tell you," she answered. "It is too dreadful to speak of."
"Your husband has done you some great wrong?" he said.
"Yes."
"Something for which you can get legal redress?"
"Yes."
"And that made you desperate?"
"Yes."
"And what did you do?" He put the question abruptly, startling Ideala, as he had intended.
"_I_? Oh, I--did nothing," she stammered. There was a pause.
"My ideal of marriage is a high one," he said at last, "and I should be very hard on any short-comings of that kind."
Ideala longed to confide in him, but her shyness continued, and she walked by his side like one in a dream.
He took her to the station, and when they parted he said, "You will write and tell me?"
Ideala looked up. There were no hard lines in his face now; he was slightly flushed.
"Yes, I will write," she answered, almost in a whisper.
And then the train, "with rush and ring," bore her away through the spring-country; but she neither saw the young green of the hedgerows, nor "the young lambs bleating in the meadows," nor the broad river as she pa.s.sed it, nor the fleecy clouds that flecked the blue. She was not really conscious of anything for the moment, but that sudden great unspeakable uplifting of the spirit, which is joy.
CHAPTER XVI.
The following week Ideala came to London, but not to us--she had promised to stay with some other people first. She wrote three times to Lorrimer while she was with them--first to thank him for his kindness, to which he replied briefly, begging her to confide in him, and let him help her.
In her second letter Ideala told him what had occurred. His reply was business-like. He urged her to let him consult his legal friends about her case; pointed out that she could not be expected to remain with her husband now; and showed her that she would not have to suffer much from all the publicity which was necessary to free her from him. She replied that her first impulse had been to obtain legal redress, but that now she could not make up her mind to face the publicity. She would see him, however, when she returned, and consult him about it; and she would also like to consult those books in the library. Her buoyant spirit was already recovering under the influence of a new interest in life.
Lorrimer"s answer was formal, as his other notes had been. He begged her to make any use of the library she pleased, only to let him know when to expect her, that she might have no trouble with the officials; and offered her any other help in his power.