Lady Underhill, having said all she had to say, recovered her breath and began to say it again. Frequent iteration was one of her strongest weapons. As her brother Edwin, who was fond of homely imagery, had often observed, she could talk the hind-leg off a donkey.
"You must be mad, Derek, to dream of handicapping yourself at this vital stage of your career with a wife who not only will not be a help to you, but must actually be a ruinous handicap. I am not blaming you for imagining yourself in love in the first place, though I really should have thought that a man of your strength and character would.... However, as I say, I am not blaming you for that.
Superficially, no doubt, this girl might be called attractive. I do not admire the type myself, but I suppose she has that quality--in my time we should have called it boldness--which seems to appeal to the young men of to-day. I could imagine her fascinating a weak-minded imbecile like your friend Mr. Rooke. But that you.... Still, there is no need to go into that. What I am trying to point out is that in your position, with a career like yours in front of you--it"s quite certain that in a year or two you will be offered some really big and responsible position--you would be insane to tie yourself to a girl who seems to have been allowed to run perfectly wild, whose uncle is a swindler...."
"She can"t be blamed for her uncle."
"... Who sups alone with strange men in public restaurants...."
"I explained that."
"You may have explained it. You certainly did not excuse it or make it a whit less outrageous. You cannot pretend that you really imagine that an engaged girl is behaving with perfect correctness when she allows a man she has only just met to take her to supper at the Savoy, even if she did know him slightly years and years ago. It is very idyllic to suppose that a childhood acquaintance excuses every breach of decorum, but I was brought up to believe otherwise. I don"t wish to be vulgar, but what it amounts to is that this girl was having supper--supper! In my days girls were in bed at supper-time!--with a strange man who picked her up at a theatre!"
Derek shifted uneasily. There was a part of his mind which called upon him to rise up and challenge the outrageous phrase and demand that it be taken back. But he remained silent. The imp-Colossus was too strong for him. She is quite right, said the imp. That is an unpleasant but accurate description of what happened. He looked at the clock again, and wished for the hundredth time that the cab would come. Jill"s photograph smiled at him from beside the clock. He looked away, for, when he found his eyes upon it, he had an odd sensation of baseness, as if he were playing some one false who loved and trusted him.
"Well, I am not going to say any more," she said, getting up and b.u.t.toning her glove. "I will leave you to think it over. All I will say is that, though I only met her yesterday, I can a.s.sure you that I am quite confident that this girl is just the sort of harum-scarum so-called "modern" girl who is sure some day to involve herself in a really serious scandal. I don"t want her to be in a position to drag you into it as well. Yes, Barker, what is it? Is Sir Derek"s cab here?"
The lantern-jawed Barker had entered softly, and was standing deferentially in the doorway. There was no emotion on his face beyond the vague sadness which a sense of what was correct made him always wear like a sort of mask when in the presence of those of superior station.
"The cab will be at the door very shortly, m"lady. If you please, Sir Derek, a policeman has come with a message."
"A policeman?"
"With a message from Mr. Rooke."
"What do you mean?"
"I have had a few words of conversation with the constable, sir," said Barker sadly, "and I understand from him that Mr. Rooke and Miss Mariner have been arrested."
"Arrested! What are you talking about?"
"Mr. Rooke desired the officer to ask you to be good enough to step round and bail them out!"
The gleam in Lady Underhill"s eye became a flame, but she controlled her voice.
"Why were Miss Mariner and Mr. Rooke arrested, Barker?"
"As far as I can gather, m"lady, Miss Mariner struck a man in the street with a stick, and they took both her and Mr. Rooke to the Chelsea Police Station."
Lady Underhill glanced at Derek, who was looking into the fire.
"This is a little awkward, Derek," she said suavely. "If you go to the police-station, you will miss your train."
"I fancy, m"lady, it would be sufficient if Sir Derek were to dispatch me with a cheque for ten pounds."
"Very well. Tell the policeman to wait a moment."
"Very good, m"lady."
Derek roused himself with an effort. His face was drawn and gloomy. He sat down at the writing-table, and took out his cheque-book. There was silence for a moment, broken only by the scratching of the pen. Barker took the cheque and left the room.
"Now, perhaps," said Lady Underhill, "you will admit that I was right!" She spoke in almost an awed voice, for this occurrence at just this moment seemed to her very like a direct answer to prayer. "You can"t hesitate now! You _must_ free yourself from this detestable entanglement!"
Derek rose without speaking. He took his coat and hat from where they lay on a chair.
"Derek! You will! Say you will!"
Derek put on his coat.
"Derek!"
"For heaven"s sake, leave me alone, mother. I want to think."
"Very well. I will leave you to think it over, then." Lady Underhill moved to the door. At the door she paused for a moment, and seemed about to speak again, but her mouth closed resolutely. She was a shrewd woman, and knew that the art of life is to know when to stop talking. What words have accomplished, too many words can undo.
"Good-bye."
"Good-bye, mother."
"I"ll see you when you get back?"
"Yes. No. I don"t know. I"m not certain when I shall return. I may go away for a bit."
The door closed behind Lady Underhill. Derek sat down again at the writing-table. He wrote a few words on a sheet of paper, then tore it up. His eye travelled to the mantelpiece. Jill"s photograph smiled happily down at him. He turned back to the writing-table, took out a fresh piece of paper, thought for a few moments, and began to write again.
The door opened softly.
"The cab is at the door, Sir Derek," said Barker.
Derek addressed an envelope, and got up.
"All right. Thanks. Oh, Barker, stop at a district-messenger office on your way to the police-station, and have this sent off at once."
"Very good, Sir Derek," said Barker.
Derek"s eyes turned once more to the mantelpiece. He stood looking for an instant, then walked quickly out of the room.
CHAPTER VI
UNCLE CHRIS BANGS THE TABLE
I
A taxi-cab stopped at the door of Number Twenty-two, Ovingdon Square.
Freddie Rooke emerged, followed by Jill. While Freddie paid the driver, Jill sniffed the afternoon air happily. It had turned into a delightful day. A westerly breeze, springing up in the morning, had sent the thermometer up with a run and broken the cold spell which had been gripping London. It was one of those afternoons which intrude on the bleakness of winter with a false but none the less agreeable intimation that Spring is on its way. The sidewalks were wet underfoot, and the gutters ran with thawed snow. The sun shone exhilaratingly from a sky the colour of a hedge-sparrow"s egg.