It caused some surprise to the lookers-on that Mr. Brokenshire should merely press the electric bell. "Tell Mr. Spellman to come here," he said, quietly, to the footman who answered his ring.
Mr. Spellman appeared, a smooth-shaven man of indefinite age, with dark shadows in the face, and cadaverous. His master instructed him with a word or two. There was silence during the minute that followed the man"s withdrawal, a silence ominous with expectation. When Spellman had returned and handed a long envelope to his employer and withdrawn again, the suspended action was renewed.
Hugh, who was playing in seeming unconcern with the ta.s.sel of Mildred"s dressing-gown, had given no attention to the small drama going on behind him.
"Hugh, here"s father," Mildred whispered.
Her white face was drawn; she was fond of Hugh; she seemed to scent the catastrophe. Hugh continued to play with the ta.s.sel without glancing upward.
It was not J. Howard"s practice to raise his voice or to speak with emphasis except when the occasion demanded it. He was very gentle now as his hand slipped over Hugh"s shoulder.
"Hugh, here"s your ticket and your letter of credit. I asked Spellman to see to them when he was in New York."
The young man barely turned his head. "Thank you, father; but I don"t want them. I can"t go over--because I"m going to marry Miss Adare."
As it was no time for the chorus of an opera to intervene, all waited for what would happen next. Old Mrs. Billing, turning her lorgnette on the rebellious boy, saw nothing but the back of his head. The father"s hand wavered for a minute over the son"s shoulder and let the envelope fall. Hugh continued to play with the ta.s.sel.
For once Howard Brokenshire was disconcerted. Having stepped back a pace or two, he said in his quiet voice, "What did you say, Hugh?"
The answer was quite distinct. "I said I was going to marry Miss Adare."
"Who"s that?"
"You know perfectly well, father. She"s Ethel"s nursery governess.
You"ve been to see her, and she"s told you she"s going to marry me."
"Oh, but I thought that was over and done with."
"No, you didn"t, father. Please don"t try to come that. I told you nearly a fortnight ago that I was perfectly serious--and I am."
"Oh, are you? Well, so am I. The Goldboroughs are expecting you for the twelfth--"
"The Goldboroughs can go to--"
"Hugh!" It was Mildred who cut him short with a cry that was almost a pet.i.tion.
"All right, Milly," he a.s.sured her under his breath. "I"m not going to make a scene."
That J. Howard expected to become the princ.i.p.al in a duel, under the eyes of excited witnesses, I do not think. If he had chosen to speak when witnesses were present, it was because of his a.s.sumption that Hugh"s submission would be thus more easily secured. As it was his policy never to enter into a conflict of authorities, or of will against will, he was for the moment nonplussed. I have an idea he would have retired gracefully, waiting for a more convenient opportunity, had it not been for old Mrs. Billing"s lorgnette.
It will, perhaps, not interrupt my narrative too much if I say here that of all the important women he knew he was most afraid of her. She had coached him when he was a beginner in life and she an established young woman of the world. She must then have had a certain _beaut du diable_ and that nameless thing which men find exciting in women. I have been told that she was an example of the modern Helen of Troy, over whom men fight while she holds the stakes, and I can believe it. Her history was said to be full of dramatic episodes, though I never knew what they were. Even at sixty, which was the age at which I saw her, she had that kind of presence which challenges and dares. She was ugly and hook-nosed and withered; but she couldn"t be overlooked. To me she suggested that Madame Poisson who so carefully prepared her daughter to become the Marquise de Pompadour. Stacy Grainger, I believe, was the Louis XV. of her earlier plans, though, like a born strategist, she changed her methods when reasons arose for doing so. I shall return to this later in my story. At present I only want to say that I do not believe that Mr.
Brokenshire would have pushed things to an issue that night had her lorgnette not been there to provoke him.
"Has it occurred to you, Hugh," he asked, in his softest tones, on reaching a stand before the chimney which was filled with dwarfed potted palms, "that I pay you an allowance of six thousand dollars a year?"
Hugh continued to play with the ta.s.sel of Mildred"s gown. "Yes, father; and as a Socialist I don"t think it right. I"ve been coming to the decision that--"
"You"ll spare us your poses and let the Socialist nonsense drop. I simply want to remind you--"
"I can"t let the Socialist nonsense drop, father, because--"
The tartness of the tone betrayed a rising irritation.
"Be good enough to turn round this way. I don"t understand what you"re saying. Perhaps you"ll take a chair, and leave poor Mildred alone."
Mildred whispered: "Oh, Hugh, be careful. I"ll do anything for you if you won"t get him worked up. It"ll hurt his face--and his poor eye."
Hugh slouched--the word is Mrs. Rossiter"s--to a nearby chair, where he sat down in a hunched position, his hands in his trousers pockets and his feet thrust out before him. The att.i.tude was neither graceful nor respectful to the company.
"It"s no use talking, father," he declared, sulkily, "because I"ve said my last word."
"Oh no, you haven"t, for I haven"t said my first."
In the tone in which Hugh cried out there must have been something of the plea of a little boy before he is punished:
"Please don"t give me any orders, father, because I sha"n"t be able to obey them."
"Hugh, your expression "sha"n"t be able to obey" is not in the vocabulary with which I"m familiar."
"But it"s in the one with which I am."
"Then you"ve probably learnt it from Ethel"s little servant--I"ve forgotten the name--"
Hugh spoke with spirit. "She"s not a servant; and her name is Alexandra Adare. Please, dad, try to fix it in your memory. You"ll find you"ll have a lot of use for it."
"Don"t be impertinent."
"I"m not impertinent. I"m stating a fact. I ask every one here to remember that name--"
"We needn"t bring any one else into this foolish business. It"s between you and me. Even so, I wish to have no argument."
"Nor I."
"Then in that case we understand each other. You"ll be with the Goldboroughs for the twelfth--"
Hugh spoke very distinctly: "Father--I"m--not--going."
In the silence that followed one could hear the ticking of the mantelpiece clock.
"Then may I ask where you are going?"
Hugh raised himself from his sprawling att.i.tude, holding his bulky young figure erect. "I"m going to earn a living."
Some one, perhaps old Mrs. Billing, laughed. The father continued to speak with great if dangerous courtesy.
"Ah? Indeed! That"s interesting. And may I ask at what?"
"At what I can find."