"Could I have a whisky and soda, old pal?"
The drink was brought. He pledged Barbara--"And may I drink to the success of that promising little affair"--he jerked a backward thumb--"between our pippy friend and the charming widow?"
Barbara had pa.s.sed the gasping stage.
"Mr. Chayne," she said in the metallic voice that, before now, had made strong men grow pale, "Mr. Chayne stands in the same relation of trustee to Mrs. Boldero as he does to Mrs. Prescott."
But Fendihook was undismayed. "Some fellows have all the luck! Here"s to him, and here"s to you, Sheba"s Queen."
He nodded to Liosha and pulled at his drink. But Liosha did not respond.
A hard look appeared in her eyes and the knuckles of her hand showed white. Presently she rose and went onto the terrace, where she found Jaffery fixing a rebellious rug round Doria"s feet. And this is what happened.
"Jaff Chayne," she said, "I want to have a word with you. You"ll excuse me, Doria, but Jaff Chayne"s as much my trustee as he is yours. I have business to talk."
Doria eyed her coldly. "Talk as much business as you like, my dear girl.
I"m not preventing you." Jaffery strode off with Liosha. As soon as they were out of earshot, she said:
"Are you going to marry her?"
"Who?"
"Doria."
Jaffery bent his brows on her. He was not in his most angelic mood.
"What the blazes has that got to do with you? Just you mind your own business."
"All right," she retorted, "I will."
"Glad to hear it," said he. "And now I want a word with you. What do you mean by bringing that howling cad down here?"
"It"s you who howl, not he. He"s a very kind gentleman and very clever and he makes me laugh. He"s not like you."
"He"s a performing gorilla," cried Jaffery.
They were both exceedingly angry, and having walked very fast, they found themselves in front of the gate of the walled garden.
Instinctively they entered and had the place to themselves.
"And a confounded bounder of a gorilla at that!" Jaffery continued.
"How dare you speak so of my friend?"
"You ought to be ashamed of yourself for having such a friend. And you"re just going to drop him. Do you understand?"
"Shan"t!" said Liosha.
"You shall. You"re not going to be seen outside the house with him."
There was battle clamorous and a trifle undignified. They said the same things over and over again. Both had worked themselves into a fury.
"I forbid you to have anything to do with the fellow."
"You, Jaff Chayne, told me to mind my own business. Just you mind yours."
"It is my business," he shouted, "to see that you don"t disgrace yourself with a beast of a fellow like that."
"What did you say? Disgrace myself?" She drew herself up magnificently.
"Do you think I would disgrace myself with any man living? You insult me."
"Rot!" cried Jaffery. "Every woman"s liable to make a blessed fool of herself--and you more than most."
"I know one that"s not going to make a fool of herself," she taunted, and flung an arm in the direction of the house.
Jaffery blazed. "You leave me alone."
"And you leave me alone."
They glared inimically into each other"s eyes. Liosha turned, marched superbly away, opened the garden door and, pa.s.sing through, slammed it in his face. It had been a very pretty, primitive quarrel, free from all subtlety. Elemental instinct flamed in Jaffery"s veins. If he could have given her a good sound thrashing he would have been a happy man. This accursed civilisation paralysed him. He stood for a few moments tearing at whiskers and beard. Then he started in pursuit, and overtook her in the middle of the lawn.
"Anyhow, you"ll take the infernal fellow away now and never bring him here again."
"It"s Hilary"s house, not yours," she remarked, looking straight before her.
"Well, ask him."
"I will. Hilary!"
At her hail and beckon I left the terrace where Mr. Fendihook had been discoursing irrepressibly on the Bohemian advantages of widowhood to a quivering Doria, and advanced to meet her, a flushed and bright-eyed Juno.
"Would you like me to bring Ras Fendihook here again?"
"Tell her straight," said Jaffery.
Even Susan, looking from one to the other, would have been conscious of storms. I took her hand.
"My dear Liosha," said I, "our social system is so complicated that it is no wonder you don"t appreciate the more delicate ramifications--"
"Oh! Talk sense to her," growled Jaffery.
"Mr. Fendihook is not quite"--I hesitated--"not quite the kind of person, my dear, that we"re accustomed to meet."
"I know," said Liosha, "you want them all stamped out in a pattern, like little tin soldiers."
"I see the point of your criticism, and it"s true, as far as it goes."
"Oh, go on--" Jaffery interrupted.
"But--" I continued.