"You"re not likely to marry her, otherwise," retorted Macloud, as he went up the stairs. On the landing he halted and looked down at Croyden in the hall below. "And if you don"t take your chance, the chance she has deliberately offered you by coming to Hampton, you are worse than----" and, with an expressive gesture, he resumed the ascent.
"How do you know she came down here just for that purpose?" Croyden called.
But all that came back in answer, as Macloud went down the hall and into his room, was the whistled air from a popular opera, then running in the Metropolis.
"Ev"ry little movement has a meaning all its own, Ev"ry thought and action----"
The door slammed--the music ceased.
"I won"t believe it," Croyden reflected, "that Elaine would do anything so utterly unconventional as to seek me out deliberately.... I might have had a chance if--Oh, d.a.m.n it all! why didn"t we find the old pirate"s box--it would have clarified the whole situation."
As he changed into his evening clothes, he went over the matter, carefully, and laid out the line of conduct that he intended to follow.
He would that Elaine had stayed away from Hampton. It was putting him to too severe a test--to be with her, to be subject to her alluring loveliness, and, yet, to be unmoved. It is hard to see the luscious fruit within one"s reach and to refrain from even touching it. It grew harder the more he contemplated it....
"It"s no use fighting against it, here!" he exclaimed, going into Macloud"s room, and throwing himself on a chair. "I"m going to cut the whole thing."
"What the devil are you talking about?" Macloud inquired, pausing with his waistcoat half on.
"What the devil do you think I"m talking about?" Croyden demanded.
"Not being a success at solving riddles, I give it up."
"Oh, very well!" said Croyden. "Can you comprehend this:--I"m going to leave town?"
"Certainly--that"s plain English. When are you going?"
"To-morrow morning."
"Why this suddenness?"
"To get away quickly--to escape."
"From Elaine?"
Croyden nodded.
Macloud smiled.
"He is coming to it, at last," he thought. What he said was:--"You"re not going to be put to flight by a woman?"
"I am.--If I stay here I shall lose."
"You mean?"
"I shall propose."
"And be refused?"
"Be accepted."
"Most people would not call that _losing_," said Macloud.
"I have nothing to do with most people--only, with myself."
"It seems so!--even Elaine isn"t to be considered."
"Haven"t we gone over all that?"
"I don"t know--but, if we have, go over it again."
"You a.s.sume she came down here solely on my account--because I"m here?"
"I a.s.sume nothing," Macloud answered, with a quiet chuckle. "I said you have a chance, and urged you not to let it slip. I should not have offered any suggestion--I admit that----"
"Oh, bosh!" Croyden interrupted. "Don"t be so humble--you"re rather proud of your interference."
"I am! Certainly, I am! I"m only sorry it is so unavailing."
"Who said it was unavailing!"
"You did!--or, at least, I inferred as much."
"I"m not responsible for your inferences."
"What are you responsible for?" asked Macloud.
"Nothing! Nothing!--not even for my resolution--I haven"t any--I can"t make any that holds. I"m worse than a weather-c.o.c.k. Common sense bids me go. Desire clamors for me to stay--to hasten over to Ashburton--to put it to the test. When I get to Ashburton, common sense will be in control. When I come away, desire will tug me back, again--and so on, and so on--and so on."
"You"re in a bad way!" laughed Macloud. "You need a c.o.c.k-tail, instead of a weather-c.o.c.k. Come on! if we are to dine at the Carringtons" at seven, we would better be moving. Having thrown the blue funk, usual to a man in your position, you"ll now settle down to business."
"To be or not to be?"
"Let future events determine--take it as it comes," Macloud urged.
"Sage advice!" returned Croyden mockingly. "If I let future events decide for me, the end"s already fixed."
The big clock on the landing was chiming seven when they rang the bell at Ashburton and the maid ushered them into the drawing-room. Mrs.
Carrington was out of town, visiting in an adjoining county, and the Captain had not appeared. He came down stairs a moment later, and took Macloud and Croyden over to the library.
After about a quarter of an hour, he glanced at his watch a trifle impatiently.--Another fifteen minutes, and he glanced at it again.
"Caroline!" he called, as the maid pa.s.sed the door. "Go up to Miss Davila"s room and tell her it"s half-after-seven."
Then he continued with the story he was relating.
Presently, the maid returned; the Captain looked at her, interrogatingly.