Unconsciously perhaps to herself, her eyes were fixed on Charles. He thought the question was put to him, and answered it.
"Well--I--I"m afraid it looks like it, as she seems to have said nothing to you," he slowly said. "But I give you my word, Miss Preen, that until this moment that aspect of the matter never suggested itself to me. I supposed they were just going up the line together for some purpose or other; though, in fact, I hardly thought about it at all."
"And perhaps that is all the mystery!" interposed Madame Carimon briskly. "He may have taken Ann to Drecques for a little jaunt, and they will be back again by the last train. It must be almost due, Lavinia."
With one impulse they turned to the station, which was near at hand.
Drecques, a village, was the first place the trains stopped at on the up-line. The pa.s.sengers were already issuing from the gate. Standing aside until all had pa.s.sed, and not seeing Nancy anywhere, Charley Palliser looked into the omnibuses. But she was not there.
"They may have intended to come back and missed the train, Miss Preen; it"s very easy to miss a train," said he in his good nature.
"I think it must be so, Lavinia," spoke up Madame Carimon. "Any way, we will a.s.sume it until we hear to the contrary. And, Charley, we had better not talk of this to-night."
"_I_ won"t," answered Charley earnestly. "You may be sure of me."
Unless Captain Fennel and Miss Ann Preen chartered a balloon, there was little probability of their reaching Sainteville that evening, for this had been the last train. Lavinia Preen pa.s.sed a night of discomfort, striving to hope against hope, as the saying runs. Not a very wise saying; it might run better, striving to hope against despair.
When Sunday did not bring back the truants, or any news of them, the three in the secret--Mary Carimon, Lavinia, and Charley Palliser--had little doubt that the disappearance meant an elopement. Monsieur Jules Carimon, not easily understanding such an escapade, so little in accordance with the customs and manners of his own country, said in his wife"s ear he hoped it would turn out that there was a marriage in the case.
Miss Preen received a letter from Dover pretty early in the week, written by Ann. She had been married that day to Captain Fennel.
Altogether, the matter was the most bitter blow ever yet dealt to Lavinia Preen. No living being knew, or ever would know, how cruelly her heart was wrung by it. But, being a kindly woman of good sound sense, she saw that the best must be made of it, not the worst; and this she set herself out to do. She began by hoping that her own instinct, warning her against Captain Fennel, might be a mistaken one, and that he had a good home to offer his wife and would make her happy in it.
She knew no more about him--his family, his fortune, his former life, his antecedents--than she knew of the man in the moon. Major Smith perhaps did; he had been acquainted with him in the past. Nancy"s letter, though written the previous day, had been delivered by the afternoon post. As soon as she could get dinner over, Lavinia went to Major Smith"s. He lived at the top of the Rue Lambeau, a street turning out of the Grande Place. He and his wife, their own dinner just removed, were sitting together, the major indulging in a steaming gla.s.s of schiedam and water, flavoured with a slice of lemon. He was a very jolly little man, with rosy cheeks and a bald head. They welcomed Miss Lavinia warmly. She, not quite as composed as usual, opened her business without preamble; her sister Ann had married Captain Fennel, and she had come to ask Major Smith what he knew of him.
"Not very much," answered the major.
There was something behind his tone, and Lavinia burst into tears.
Compa.s.sionating her distress, the major offered her a comforting gla.s.s, similar to his own. Lavinia declined it.
"You will tell me what you know," she said; and he proceeded to do so.
Edwin Fennel, the son of Colonel Fennel, was stationed in India with his regiment for several years. He got on well enough, but was not much liked by his brother officers: they thought him unscrupulous and deceitful. All at once, something very disagreeable occurred, which obliged Captain Fennel to quit her Majesty"s service. The affair was hushed up, out of consideration to his family and his father"s long term of service. "In fact, I believe he was allowed to retire, instead of being cashiered," added the major, "but I am not quite sure which it was."
"What was it that occurred--that Captain Fennel did, to necessitate his dismissal?" questioned Lavinia.
"I don"t much like to mention it," said the major, shaking his head.
"It might get about, you see, Miss Preen, which would make it awkward for him. I have no wish, or right either, to do the man a gratuitous injury."
"I promise you it shall not get about through me," returned Lavinia; "my sister"s being his wife will be the best guarantee for that. You must please tell me, Major Smith."
"Well, Fennel was suspected--detected, in short--of cheating at cards."
Lavinia drew a deep breath. "Do you know," she said presently, in an undertone, "that when I first met the man I shrank from his face."
"Oh my! And it has such nice features!" put in Mrs. Smith, who was but a silly little woman.
"There was something in its shifty look which spoke to me as a warning,"
continued Lavinia. "It did, indeed. All my life I have been able to read faces, and my first instinct has rarely, if ever, deceived me. Each time I have seen this man since, that instinct against him has become stronger."
Major Smith took a sip at his schiedam. "I believe--between ourselves--he is just a mauvais sujet," said he. "He has a brother who is one, out and out; as I chance to know."
"What is Edwin Fennel"s income, major?"
"I can"t tell at all. I should not be surprised to hear that he has none."
"How does he live then?" asked Lavinia, her heart going at a gallop.
"Don"t know that either," said the major. "His father is dead now and can"t help him. A very respectable man, the old colonel, but always poor."
"He cannot live upon air; he must have some means," debated Lavinia.
"Lives upon his wits, perhaps; some men do. He wanted to borrow ten pounds from me a short time ago," added the major, taking another sip at his tumbler; "but I told him I had no money to lend--which was a fact. I have an idea that he got it out of Charley Palliser."
The more Lavinia Preen heard of this unhappy case, the worse it seemed to be. Declining to stay for tea, as Mrs. Smith wished, she betook her miserable steps home again, rather wishing that the sea would swallow up Captain Fennel.
The next day she saw Charles Palliser. Pouncing upon him as he was airing his long legs in the Grande Place, she put the question to him in so determined a way that Charley had no chance against her. He turned red.
"I don"t know who can have set that about," said he. "But it"s true, Miss Preen. Fennel pressed me to lend him ten pounds for a month; and I--well, I did it. I happened to have it in my pocket, you see, having just cashed a remittance from my father."
"Has he repaid you, Mr. Charles?"
"Oh, the month"s not quite up yet," cried Charley. "Please don"t talk of it, Miss Preen; he wouldn"t like it, you know. How on earth it has slipped out I can"t imagine."
"No, I shall not talk of it," said Lavinia, as she wished him good-day and walked onwards, wondering what sort of a home Captain Fennel meant to provide for Ann.
Lavinia Preen"s cup of sorrow was not yet full. A morning or two after this she was seated at breakfast with the window open, when she saw the postman come striding across the yard with a letter. It was from the bride; a very short letter, and one that Miss Lavinia did not at once understand. She read it again.
"MY DEAR LAVINIA,
"All being well, we shall be home to-morrow; that is, on the day you receive this letter; reaching Sainteville by the last train in the evening. Please get something nice and substantial for tea, Edwin says, and please see that Flore has the bedroom in good order.
"Your affectionate sister, "ANN FENNEL."
The thing that Miss Lavinia did, when comprehension came to her, was to fly into a pa.s.sion.
"Come home here--_he!_--is that what she means?" cried she. "Never. Have that man in my house? Never, never."
"But what has mademoiselle received?" exclaimed Flore, appearing just then with a boiled egg. "Is it bad news?"
"It is news that I will not put up with--will not tolerate," cried Miss Lavinia. And, in the moment"s dismay, she told the woman what it was.
"Tiens!" commented Flore, taking a common-sense view of matters: "they must be coming just to show themselves to mademoiselle on their marriage. Likely enough they will not stay more than a night or two, while looking out for an apartment."
Lavinia did not believe it; but the very suggestion somewhat soothed her. To receive that man even for a night or two, as Flore put it, would be to her most repugnant, cruel pain, and she resolved not to do it.
Breakfast over, she carried the letter and her trouble to the Rue Pomme Cuite.
"But I am afraid, Lavinia, you cannot refuse to receive them," spoke Madame Carimon, after considering the problem.
"Not refuse to receive them!" echoed Lavinia. "Why do you say that?"