I sat and listened to the end of the story, saying never a word, though I was in one of the moods which make me a person that n.o.body but myself could stand for a moment. I should simply have smiled if wild horses had come along to tear him in two.
"So you see," said he, at last, when I didn"t speak, "I"m in the game with you."
"It isn"t my game," said I.
"You"re playing it," said he.
"Because I have to," said I.
"Is it Sir Lionel who"s making you play it?" he asked.
"Oh, dear, no," I broke out, before I stopped to think.
"Then, he isn"t in it?"
I thought it looked more respectable to admit that, whatever the "game"
was, Sir Lionel and I were not playing it together.
"You"re doing it for your friend," deduced our young detective.
I gently intimated that that was _my_ business. But Mr. Burden advised me that I would be wise to accept him as my partner if I didn"t want the business to fail.
"What have I done to you, that you should interfere?" I wanted to know, only I didn"t dare--actually didn"t _dare_, for Ellaline"s sake, to speak angrily. Oh, I did feel like a worm"s paper doll!
"You"ve made me like you, awfully," he said.
"Then you shouldn"t want to do me any harm," I suggested.
"I don"t want to do you harm," he defended himself. "What I want is to see as much of you as possible, and also I"d like to give Aunt Gwen a little pleasure, thrown in with mine. I want you to ask Sir Lionel to invite us to join your party. There"s plenty of room for us in that big motor-car of his. I went to see it in the garage to-day."
"You _would_!" I couldn"t resist sputtering. But he took no notice.
"You needn"t be afraid that Aunt Gwen"s in this," he went on to a.s.sure me. "I"ve kept mum as an oyster. All she knows is that I saw you--Miss Lethbridge--in Paris, and haven"t been the same man since. She helped me get to know you, of course. She"s a great chum of mine, and her being an old pal of Sir Lionel"s too, meant a lot for me in the beginning. She"s a ripper, and stanch as they make "em--but they _don"t_ make "em perfectly stanch where other women are concerned. And as long as you and I hunt in couples she shan"t have a suspicion."
"You"d tell her, if I refused to hunt in that way?" I asked.
"I might think it my duty to let Sir Lionel know how he"s being humbugged. At present I"m shuttin" my eyes to duty, and lookin" at you.
What?"
"Why does Mrs. Senter want to come with us?" I ventured to inquire.
"Because," explained her loyal nephew, "she"s fed up with visiting, and she loves motoring. So do I, with the right people. I"m sure it"s not much to ask. We won"t sponge on Sir Lionel. We"ll pay our own hotel bills; and I"m sure, even though you are in a wax with me just now, you must admit Aunt Gwen and I would wake things up a bit--what? All"s fair in love and war, so you oughtn"t to blame me for anything I"ve done.
You"d think it jolly well romantic if you read it in a book."
I denied this, but said I would consider. He must give me till to-morrow morning to make up my mind; which he flatly refused to do. To-morrow would be too late. He saw in my eye that I hoped to slip off, but it was "no good my being foxy." Things must be fixed up, or _blown_ up, on board this ship to-night.
Whether or not he really meant to do his worst, if I wouldn"t give in, I can"t be sure, but he looked as obstinate as six pigs, and I didn"t dare risk Ellaline"s future. My _own_ impression is that there"s a _big_ mistake somewhere, and that she would be perfectly safe in Sir Lionel"s hands if she would tell him frankly all about Honore du Guesclin--I, meanwhile, vanishing through a stage trap or something. But she may be right. And I _may_ be wrong. That"s why I was forced to promise d.i.c.k.
And I kept my promise, as soon as we got home to our hotel--Sir Lionel, Mrs. Norton, and I.
I knew it would be a most horrid thing to do, but it was even horrider than I thought.
All the way going back I was planning what to say, and feeling damp on the forehead, thinking how impudent it would seem in _me_, a young girl and a guest, to make such a suggestion. But it had to be done, so I screwed up my courage, swallowed half of it again, with a lump in my throat, and exclaimed in a gay, spontaneous way, like the sweet, innocent angel I am: "Oh, Sir Lionel, _wouldn"t_ it be fun if Mrs.
Senter and--and her nephew were going with us for a little way? They both love motoring."
He looked surprised and Emily pursed her lips.
"Do you want them to come?" he asked.
"Well, I just thought of it," I stammered.
"I thought you didn"t like Burden," he said. No wonder, as I"d unfortunately unbosomed myself of my real sentiments not three hours before!
"I think he"s amusing enough," I tried to slide out of the difficulty.
"And Mrs. Senter probably wouldn"t go without him."
"I somehow gathered an impression that you didn"t admire her particularly," went on Sir Lionel, looking at me with a very straight look.
"Oh, I never said so!" I cried. "I admire her immensely."
"In that case, I"ll ask them, with pleasure," said Sir Lionel. "The idea did cross my mind in London, but I didn"t think you"d care for it, somehow. Emily will be pleased, I know. Won"t you, Emily? And if Mrs.
Senter will be as reasonable as you two in the matter of luggage we shall have plenty of room."
"It is your car, and the idea of the tour is yours," said Mrs. Norton, very feminine and resigned, also feeling that my "cheek" deserved a tiny scratch. "I am pleased with whatever pleases _you_."
Next morning (or rather the _same_ morning, and _this_ morning) Sir Lionel got his sister to write a note to Mrs. Senter, and he wrote one too, or added a P. S. "Aunt Gwen"s" reply was a ladylike warwhoop of joy; and we are now waiting till the latest additions to our party have broken the news to their hostess at Hayling Island, packed a few things to take, and sent the rest "home" (wherever that may be) with Mrs.
Senter"s maid.
Good-bye, my Parisienne Angel.
Your broken and badly repaired
Audrie-Ellaline.
I long to hear whether you think I ought to have braved d.i.c.k.
X
SIR LIONEL PENDRAGON TO COLONEL PATRICK O"HAGAN
_Royal Hotel, Winchester_, _July 21st. Night_
My dear Pat: I thought of you on the Portsmouth Downs yesterday, remembering a tramp you and I had together, "exploring wild England," as we called it. We then had a pose that all England, except "town," was wild--save only and always when there was any shooting of poor silly pheasants or hunting of "that pleasant little gentleman," the fox.
After running out through Portsmouth, I suggested stopping the car and mounting the downs above, on foot, for a look at the view. There are now five in our party, instead of three--not counting Young Nick, who has no stomach for views. At Ellaline"s expressed wish, Mrs. Senter and d.i.c.k Burden have come on with us from Hayling Island, where they were staying. We met them at a dance on the _Thunderer_, which Starlin captains. They have been invited to be of the party for a fortnight or so.