Miss Thorn looked up quickly from the ground, her eyes searchingly upon my face. And Mrs. Cooke seemed surprised.
"We are glad you came, at any rate," she answered.
And at luncheon my seat was next to Miss Thorn"s, while the Celebrity was placed at the right of Miss Trevor. I observed that his face went blank from time to time at some quip of hers: even a dull woman may be sharp under such circ.u.mstances, and Miss Trevor had wits to spare. And I marked that she never allowed her talk with him to drift into deep water; when there was danger of this she would draw the entire table into their conversation by some adroit remark, or create a laugh at his expense. As for me, I held a discreet if uncomfortable silence, save for the few words which pa.s.sed between Miss Thorn and me. Once or twice I caught her covert glance on me. But I felt, and strongly, that there could be no friendship between us now, and I did not care to dissimulate merely for the sake of appearances. Besides, I was not a little put out over the senseless piece of gossip which had gone abroad concerning me.
It had been arranged as part of the day"s programme that Mr. Cooke was to drive those who wished to go over the Rise in his new brake. But the table was not graced by our host"s presence, Mrs. Cooke apologizing for him, explaining that he had disappeared quite mysteriously. It turned out that he and the judge had been served with luncheon in the Ethiopian card-room, and neither threats nor fair words could draw him away.
The judge had not held such cards for years, and it was in vain that I talked to him of consequences. The Ten decided to remain and watch a game which was p.r.o.nounced little short of phenomenal, and my client gave orders for the smaller brake and requested the Celebrity to drive.
And this he was nothing loth to do. For the edification as well as the a.s.surance of the party Mr. Allen explained, while we were waiting under the porte cochere, how he had driven the Windsor coach down Piccadilly at the height of the season, with a certain member of Parliament and noted whip on the box seat.
And, to do him justice, he could drive. He won the instant respect of Mr. Cooke"s coachman by his manner of taking up the lines, and clinched it when he dropped a careless remark concerning the off wheeler. And after the critical inspection of the horses which is proper he climbed up on the box. There was much hesitation among the ladies as to who should take the seat of honor: Mrs. Cooke declining, it was pressed upon Miss Thorn. But she, somewhat to my surprise, declined also, and it was finally filled by a young woman from Asquith.
As we drove off I found myself alone with Mrs. Cooke"s niece on the seat behind.
The day was cool and snappy for August, and the Rise all green with a lavish nature. Now we, plunged into a deep shade with the boughs lacing each other overhead, and crossed dainty, rustic bridges over the cold trout-streams, the boards giving back the clatter of our horses" feet: or anon we shot into a clearing, with a colored glimpse of the lake and its curving sh.o.r.e far below us. I had always loved that piece of country since the first look I had of it from the Asquith road, and the sight of it rarely failed to set my blood a-tingle with pleasure. But to-day I scarcely saw it. I wondered what whim had impelled Miss Thorn to get into this seat. She paid but little attention to me during the first part of the drive, though a mere look in my direction seemed to afford her amus.e.m.e.nt. And at last, half way up the Rise, where the road takes to an embankment, I got a decided jar.
"Mr. Allen," she cried to the Celebrity, "you must stop here. Do you remember how long we tarried over this bit on Friday?"
He tightened the lines and threw a meaning glance backward.
I was tempted to say:
"You and Mr. Allen should know these roads rather well, Miss Thorn."
"Every inch of them," she replied.
We must have gone a mile farther when she turned upon me.
"It is your duty to be entertaining, Mr. Crocker. What in the world are you thinking of, with your brow all puckered up, forbidding as an owl?"
"I was thinking how some people change," I answered, with a readiness which surprised me.
"Strange," she said, "I had the same thing in mind. I hear decidedly queer tales of you; canoeing every day that business does not prevent, and whole evenings spent at the dark end of a veranda."
"What rubbish!" I exclaimed, not knowing whether to be angered or amused.
"Come, sir," she said, with mock sternness, "answer the charge. Guilty or not guilty?"
"First let me make a counter-charge," said I; "you have given me the right. Not long ago a certain young lady came to Mohair and found there a young author of note with whom she had had some previous acquaintance.
She did not hesitate to intimate her views on the character of this Celebrity, and her views were not favorable."
I paused. There was some satisfaction in seeing Miss Thorn biting her lip.
"Well?"
"Not at all favorable, mind you," I went on. "And the young lady"s general appearance was such as to lead one to suppose her the sincerest of persons. Now I am at a loss to account for a discrepancy between her words and her actions."
While I talked Miss Thorn"s face had been gradually turning from mine until now I saw only the dainty knot at the back of her head. Her shoulders were quivering with laughter. But presently her face came back all gravity, save a suspicious gleam of mirth in the eyes.
"It does seem inconsistent, Mr. Crocker; I grant you that. No doubt it is so. But let me ask you something: did you ever yet know a woman who was not inconsistent?"
I did not realize I had been side-tracked until I came to think over this conversation afterwards.
"I am not sure," I replied. "Perhaps I merely hoped that one such existed."
She dropped her eyes.
"Then don"t be surprised at my failing," said she. "No doubt I criticised the Celebrity severely. I cannot recall what I said. But it is upon the better side of a character that we must learn to look.
Did it ever strike you that the Celebrity had some exceedingly fine qualities?"
"No, it did not," I answered positively.
"Nevertheless, he has," she went on, in all apparent seriousness. "He drives almost as well as Uncle Farquhar, dances well, and is a capital paddle."
"You were speaking of qualities, not accomplishments," I said. A horrible suspicion that she was having a little fun at my expense crossed my mind.
"Very good, then. You must admit that he is generous to a fault, amiable; and persevering, else he would never have attained the position he enjoys. And his affection for you, Mr. Crocker, is really touching, considering how little he gets in return."
"Come, Miss Thorn," I said severely, "this is ridiculous. I don"t like him, and never shall. I liked him once, before he took to writing drivel. But he must have been made over since then. And what is more, with all respect to your opinion, I don"t believe he likes me."
Miss Thorn straightened up with dignity and said:
"You do him an injustice. But perhaps you will learn to appreciate him before he leaves Mohair."
"That is not likely," I replied--not at all pleasantly, I fear. And again I thought I observed in her the same desire to laugh she had before exhibited.
And all the way back her talk was of nothing except the Celebrity. I tried every method short of absolute rudeness to change the subject, and went from silence to taciturnity and back again to silence.
She discussed his books and his mannerisms, even the growth of his popularity. She repeated anecdotes of him from Naples to St. Petersburg, from Tokio to Cape Town. And when we finally stopped under the porte cochere I had scarcely the civility left to say good-bye.
I held out my hand to help her to the ground, but she paused on the second step.
"Mr. Crocker," she observed archly, "I believe you once told me you had not known many girls in your life."
"True," I said; "why do you ask?"
"I wished to be sure of it," she replied.
And jumping down without my a.s.sistance, she laughed and disappeared into the house.
VOLUME 3.
CHAPTER IX