For answer she schooled her face to rigidity, and her hands to motionlessness.
"You must talk about it--here and now," she said. "It"s the only time I"ve seen you since--Dieppe. What are you going to do, Willie?"
He looked round. Then, with a smile, he offered his arm.
"I must take you to have something," he said. "Come, we must walk through the room."
She rose and took his arm. Bowing and smiling, she turned to greet her acquaintances. She stopped to speak to Lord Detchmore, and exchanged a word with her host.
"Yes. What are you going to do?" she asked again, aloud.
They had reached the room where the _buffet_ stood. Mrs. Dennison, after a few words to Lady Valentine, who was still there, sat down on a chair a little remote from the crowd. Ruston brought her a cup of coffee, and stood in front of her, with the half-conscious intention of shielding her from notice. She drank the coffee hastily; its heat brought a slight glow to her face.
"You"re going as you planned?" she asked.
He answered in low, dry tones, emptied of all emotion.
"Yes," said he, "I"m going."
She stretched out her hand towards him imploringly.
"Willie, you must take me with you," she said.
He looked down with startled face.
"My G.o.d, Maggie!" he exclaimed.
"I can"t stay here. I can"t stay with him."
Her lips quivered; he took her cup from her (he feared that she would let it fall), and set it on the table. Behind them he heard merry voices; Semingham"s was loud among them. The voices were coming near them.
"I must think," he whispered. "We can"t talk now. I must see you again."
"Where?" she asked helplessly.
"Carlin"s. Come up to-morrow. I can arrange it. For heaven"s sake, begin to talk about something."
She looked up in his face.
"I could stand here and tell it to the room," she said, "sooner than live as I live now."
He had no time to answer. Semingham"s arm was on his shoulder. Lord Detchmore stood by his side.
"I want," said Semingham, "to introduce Lord Detchmore to you, Mrs.
Dennison. It"s not at all disinterested of me. You must persuade him--you know what about."
"No, no," laughed the Minister, "I mustn"t be talked to; it"s highly improper, and I distrust my virtue."
"I"ll be bound now that you were talking about Omof.a.ga this very minute," pursued Semingham.
"Of course we were," said Ruston.
"You"re a great enthusiast, Mrs. Dennison," smiled Detchmore. "You ought to go out, you know. Can"t you persuade your husband to lend you to the expedition?"
Ruston could have killed the man for his _malapropos_ jesting. Maggie Dennison seemed unable to answer it. Semingham broke in lightly,
"It would be a fine chance for proving the quality--and the equality--of women," said he. "I always told Mrs. Dennison that she ought to be Queen of Omof.a.ga."
"And I hope," said Detchmore, with a significant smile, "that there"ll soon be a railway to take you there."
Even at that moment, the light of triumph came suddenly gleaming into Ruston"s eyes. He looked at Detchmore, who laughed and nodded.
"I think so. I think I shall be able to manage it," he said.
"That"s an end to all our troubles," said Semingham. "Come, we"ll drink to it."
He signed to a waiter, who brought champagne. Lord Detchmore gallantly pressed a gla.s.s on Mrs. Dennison. She shook her head, but took it.
"Long life to Omof.a.ga, and death to its enemies!" cried Semingham in burlesque heroics, and, with a laugh--that was, as his laughs so often were, as much at himself as at the rest of the world--he made a mock obeisance to Willie Ruston, adding, "_Moriamur pro rege nostro!_" and draining the gla.s.s.
Maggie Dennison"s eyes sparkled. Behind the mockery in Semingham"s jest, behind the only half make-believe homage which Detchmore"s humorous glance at Ruston showed, she saw the reality of deference, the acknowledgment of power in the man she loved. For a brief moment she tasted the troubled joy which she had paid so high to win. For a moment her eyes rested on Willie Ruston as a woman"s eyes rest on a man who is the world"s as well as hers, but also hers as he is not the world"s. She sipped the champagne, echoing in her low rich voice, so that the men but just caught the words, "_Moriamur pro rege nostro_" and gave the gla.s.s into Ruston"s hand.
A sudden seriousness fell upon them. Detchmore glanced at Semingham, and thence, curiously, at Willie Ruston, whose face was pale and marked with a deep-lined frown. Mrs. Dennison had sunk back in her chair, and her heart rose and fell in agitated breathings. Then Willie Ruston spoke in cool deliberate tones.
"The King there was a Queen," he said. "You"ve drunk to the wrong person, Semingham. I"ll drink it right," and, bowing to Maggie Dennison, he drained his gla.s.s. Looking up, he found Detchmore"s eyes on him in overpowering wonder.
"If I tell you a story, Lord Detchmore," said he, "you"ll understand,"
and, yielding his place by Maggie Dennison, he took Detchmore with him, and they walked away in talk.
It was an hour later when Lord Detchmore took leave of his host.
"Well, did you hear the story?" asked Semingham.
"Yes; I heard it," said Detchmore, "about the telegram, wasn"t it?"
"Yes, and of course, you see, it explains the toast."
"That sounds like a question, Semingham."
"Oh, no. The note of interrogation was--a printer"s error."
"It"s a remarkable story."
"It really is," said Semingham.
"And--is it the whole story?"
"Well, isn"t it enough to justify the toast?"