"Yes. Things that _no_ woman should have said," she subjoined with emphasis.
There was, of course, only one conclusion to be drawn from this, and it would have been drawn at the club later in the day inevitably, even if other ladies had not also declared that Mrs. Colquhoun had said such dreadful things that they really could not repeat them. It is true that some of the men of the party mentioned the matter in a different way, and one, when asked what it was exactly that Mrs. Colquhoun had said, even answered casually: "Oh, some rot about the Irish question!" But the explanation made no impression, and was immediately forgotten. Captain Belliot himself was so excited by the news that he hurried away from Mrs.
Guthrie Brimston as soon as he could possibly excuse himself without giving offence, and went at once to call upon Evadne in order to inspect her from this unexpected point of view.
He found her talking tranquilly to Mr. St. John, Edith, and Mrs. Beale; and although he sat for half an hour, she never said a word of the slightest significance. That, however, proved nothing either one way or the other, and he left her with his confidence in Mrs. Guthrie Brimston"s insinuations quite unshaken, his theory being that the women whose minds are in reality the most corrupt are as a rule very carefully guarded in their conversation, although, of course, they always betray themselves sooner or later by some such slip as that with which he credited Evadne--an idea which he proceeded to expand at the club with great effect.
Evadne"s reputation was in danger after that, and she risked it still further by acting in defiance of the public opinion of the island generally, in order to do what she conceived to be an act of justice.
Mrs. Guthrie Brimston went to her one morning, br.i.m.m.i.n.g over with news.
"My husband has just received a letter from a friend of his in India, Major Lopside, telling him to warn us all not to call on Mrs. Clarence, who has just joined your regiment," she burst out. "I thought I ought to let you know at once. She met her husband in India, Major Lopside says, and it was a runaway match. But that is not all. For he says he knows for a fact that they travelled together for three hundred miles down country, sleeping at all the dak bungalows by the way, before they _were_ married!"
"Waiting until they came to some place where they could be married, I suppose?" Evadne suggested.
Mrs. Guthrie Brimston laughed. "Taking a sort of trial trip, I should say!" she ventured. "But it was very good of Major Lopside to let us know.
I should certainly have called if he hadn"t."
"You make me feel sick--" Evadne began.
"I knew I should!" Mrs, Guthrie Brimston interposed triumphantly.
"Sick at heart," Evadne pursued, "to think of an Englishman being capable of writing a letter for the express purpose of ruining a woman"s reputation."
Mrs. Brimston changed countenance. "We think it was awfully kind of Major Lopside to let us know," she repeated, perking.
"Well, _I_ think," said Evadne, her slow utterance giving double weight to each word--"_I_ think he must be an exceedingly low person himself, and one probably whom Mrs. Clarence has had to snub. He could only have been actuated by animus when he wrote that letter. One may be quite sure that a man is never disinterested when he does a low thing."
"It was a private letter written for our private information," Mrs.
Guthrie Brimston a.s.serted. She was ruffled considerably by this time.
"No, not written for your private information," Evadne rejoined, "or if it were, you are making a strange use of it. I have no doubt, however, that it was designed for the very purpose to which you are putting it--the purpose of spoiling the Clarences" chance of happiness in a new place. And it is precisely to the "private" character of the doc.u.ment that I take exception. If this Major Lopside has any accusation to bring against Captain Clarence, he should have done it publicly, and not in this underhand manner. He should have written to Colonel Colquhoun."
"Nonsense," said Mrs. Guthrie Brimston, her native rudeness getting the better of her habitual caution at this provocation. "Major Lopside would not be fool enough to report a man to his own chief. Why, he might get the worst of it himself if there were an inquiry."
"Exactly," Evadne answered. "He thinks it safer to stab in the dark. Will you kindly excuse me? I am very busy this morning, writing my letters for the mail. But many thanks for letting me know about this malicious story."
There was nothing for it but to retire after this, which Mrs. Guthrie Brimston did, discomfited, and with an uneasy feeling, which had been growing upon her lately, that Evadne was not quite the nonent.i.ty for which she had mistaken her.
Colonel Colquhoun had lunched at mess that day, and Evadne did not see him until quite late, when she met him on the Barraca with the Guthrie Brimstons.
It was the hour when the Barraca is thronged, and Evadne had gone with a purpose, expecting to find him there.
He left the Guthrie Brimstons and joined her as soon as she appeared.
"I have been home to look for you," he said, "but I found that you had gone out without an escort, no one knew where."
"I have been making calls," Evadne answered--"and making Mrs. Clarence"s acquaintance also. Oh, there she is, leaning against that arch with her husband. Have you met her yet? Let me introduce you. She is charmingly pretty, but very timid."
Colonel Colquhoun"s brow contracted.
"I thought Mrs. Guthrie Brimston had warned you--"
"_Warned_ me?" Evadne quietly interposed. "Mrs. Guthrie Brimston brought me a scandalous story which had the effect of making me call on Mrs. Clarence at once. I suppose you have seen this precious Major Lopside"s letter?"
"Yes," he answered. "And I am sorry you called without consulting me. You really ought to have consulted me. It will make it doubly awkward for you, having called. But we"ll rush the fellow. I"ll make him send in his papers at once."
"Why is it awkward for me--what is awkward for me?" Evadne asked.
"Why, having a lady in the regiment you can"t know, to begin with, and having to cut her after calling upon her," he answered. "If you would only condescend to consult me occasionally I could save you from this kind of thing."
"But why may I not countenance Mrs. Clarence?"
"You cannot countenance a woman there is a story about," he responded decidedly.
"But where is the proof of the story?" she asked,
Colonel Colquhoun reflected: "A man wouldn"t write a letter of that kind without some grounds for it," he said.
"We must find out what the exact grounds were," said Evadne.
"Well, you see none of the other ladies are speaking to her," Colonel Colquhoun observed, with the air of one whose argument is unanswerable.
"They are sheep," said Evadne, "but they can be led aright as well as astray, I suppose. We"ll see, at all events. But don"t let me keep you from your friends. I want to speak to Mrs. Malcomson."
There was a quiet sense of power about Evadne when she chose to act which checked opposition at the outset, and put an end to argument. Colonel Colquhoun looked disheartened, but like a gentleman he acted at once on the hint to go. He did not rejoin the Guthrie Brimstons, however, but sat alone under one of the arches of the Barraca, turning his back on the entrancing view of the Grand Harbour, a jewel of beauty, set in silence.
Colonel Colquhoun was watching. He saw Mrs. Clarence turn from the strange Christian women who eyed her coldly, and lean over the parapet; he saw the influence of the scene upon her mind in the sweet and tranquil expression which gradually replaced the half-pained, half-puzzled look her face had been wearing. He saw her husband standing beside her, but with his back to the parapet, looking at the people gloomily and with resentment, but also half-puzzled, perceiving that his wife was being slighted, and wondering why.
Colonel Colquhoun saw Mrs. Guthrie Brimston also, going from one group to another with the peculiar ducking-forward gait of a high-hipped, high-shouldered woman, followed by her little fat "Bobbie," smiling herself, and met with smiles which were followed by noisy laughter; and he noticed, too, that invariably the eyes of those she addressed turned upon Mrs. Clarence, and their faces grew hard and unfriendly; and not one person to whom she spoke looked the happier or the better for the attention when she left them. Colonel Colquhoun, with a set countenance, slowly curled his blond moustache. Only his eyes, moved, following Mrs.
Guthrie Brimston for a while, and then returning to Evadne. She was speaking to Mrs. Malcomson, and the latter looked, as she listened, at Mrs. Guthrie Brimston. Then Evadne took her arm, and the two sauntered over to Mrs. Beale--an important person, who always adopted the last charitable opinion she heard expressed positively, and acted upon it.
It was Mrs. Malcomson who spoke to her, and the effect of what she said was instantaneous, for the old lady bridled visibly, and then set out, accompanied by Edith, with the obvious intention of heading the relief party herself that very minute. She stationed herself beside Mrs.
Clarence, and stood, patting the poor girl"s hand with motherly tenderness; smiling at her, and saying conventional nothings in a most cordial manner.
Colonel Colquhoun had watched these proceedings, understanding them perfectly, but remaining impa.s.sive as at first. And Mrs. Guthrie Brimston had also seen signs of the re-action the moment it set in, and shown her astonishment. She was not accustomed to be checked in full career when it pleased her to be down upon another woman, and she didn"t quite know what to do. She looked first at Colonel Colquhoun, inviting him to rejoin her, but he ignored the glance; and she therefore found herself obliged either to give him up or to go to him. She decided to go to him, and set out, attended by her own "Bobbie." By the time she had reached him, however, the last act of the little play had begun. Evadne was standing apart with Captain Clarence, looking up at him and speaking--with her usual unimpa.s.sioned calm, to judge by the expression of her face, but Mrs.
Guthrie Brimston had begun to realize that when Evadne did speak it was to some purpose, and she watched now and awaited the event in evident trepidation.
"She"s not telling him! She never would dare to!" slipped from her unawares.
"They are coming this way," Colonel Colquhoun observed significantly.
"I shall go!" cried Mrs, Guthrie Brimston. "Come, Bobbie!"
It was too late, however; they were surrounded,
"Be good enough to remain a moment," Captain Clarence exclaimed authoritatively. Then turning to Colonel Colquhoun, he said; "I understand that these people have in their possession a letter containing a foul slander against my wife and myself, and that they have been using it to injure us in the estimation of everybody here. If it be possible, sir, I should like to have an official inquiry inst.i.tuted into the circ.u.mstances of my marriage at once."
"Very well, Captain Clarence," Colonel Colquhoun answered ceremoniously.