"Yes. I believe it"s painful. Go on."
He went on. He was enjoying himself, now, thoroughly.
"And so," the long tale ended, "when I found she had scruples about going about with me alone--because her father had suggested that I was in love with her--I--I let her think that I was engaged to you."
"That is too much!" she cried and would have risen: but he kept her hand fast.
"Ah, don"t be angry," he pleaded. "You see, I knew you didn"t care about me a little bit: and I never thought you and she would come across each other."
"So you knew all the time that I didn"t care?" her self-respect clutched at the spar he threw out.
"Of course. I"m not such a fool as to think--Ah, forgive me for letting her think that. It bought me all I cared to ask for of her time. She"s so young, so innocent--she thought it was quite all right as long as I belonged to someone else, and couldn"t make love to her."
"And haven"t you?"
"Never--never once--since the days at Long Barton when it had to be "made;" and even then I only made the very beginnings of it. Now--"
"I suppose you"ve been very, very happy?"
"Don"t I tell you? I"ve never been so wretched in my life! I despise myself. I"ve always made everything go as I wanted it to go. Now I"m like a leaf in the wind--_Pauvre feuille desechee_, don"t you know.
And I hate it. And I hate her being here without anyone to look after her. A hundred times I"ve had it on the tip of my pen to send that doddering old Underwood an anonymous letter, telling him all about it."
"Underwood?"
"Her step-father.--Oh, I forgot--I didn"t tell you." He proceeded to tell her Betty"s secret, the death of Madame Gautier and Betty"s bid for freedom.
"I see," she said slowly. "Well, there"s no great harm done. But I wish you"d trusted me before. You wanted to know, at the beginning of this remarkable interview," she laughed rather forlornly, "what I had told Miss Desmond. Well, I went to see her, and when she told me that you"d told her you were engaged to me, I--I just acted the jealous a little bit. I thought I was helping you--playing up to you. I suppose I overdid it. I"m sorry."
"The question is," said he anxiously, "whether she"ll forgive me for that lie. She"s most awfully straight, you know."
"She seems to have lied herself," Lady St. Craye could not help saying.
"Ah, yes--but only to her father."
"That hardly counts, you think?"
"It"s not the same thing as lying to the person you love. I wish--I wonder whether you"d mind if I never told her it was a lie? Couldn"t I tell her that we were engaged but you"ve broken it off? That you found you liked Temple better, or something?"
She gasped before the sudden vision of the naked gigantic egotism of a man in love.
"You can tell her what you like," she said wearily: "a lie or two more or less--what does it matter?"
"I don"t want to lie to her," said Vernon. "I hate to. But she"d never understand the truth."
"You think _I_ understand? It _is_ the truth you"ve been telling me?"
He laughed. "I don"t think I ever told so much truth in all my life."
"And you"ve thoroughly enjoyed it! You alway did enjoy new sensations!"
"Ah, don"t sneer at me. You don"t understand--not quite. Everything"s changed. I really do feel as though I"d been born again. The point of view has shifted--and so suddenly, so completely. It"s a new Heaven and a new earth. But the new earth"s not comfortable, and I don"t suppose I shall ever get the new Heaven. But you"ll help me--you"ll advise me? Do you think I ought to tell her at once? You see, she"s so different from other girls--she"s--"
"She isn"t," Lady St. Craye interrupted, "except that she"s the one you love; she"s not a bit different from other girls. No girl"s different from other girls."
"Ah, you don"t know her," he said. "You see, she"s so young and brave and true and--what is it--Why--"
Lady St. Craye had rested her head against his coat-sleeve and he knew that she was crying.
"What is it? My dear, don"t--you musn"t cry."
"I"m not.--At least I"m very tired."
"Brute that I am!" he said with late compunction. "And I"ve been worrying you with all my silly affairs. Cheer up,--and smile at me before I go! Of course you"re tired!"
His hand on her soft hair held her head against his arm.
"No," she said suddenly, "it isn"t that I"m tired, really. You"ve told the truth,--why shouldn"t I?" Vernon instantly and deeply regretted the lapse.
"You"re really going to marry the girl? You mean it?"
"Yes."
"Then I"ll help you. I"ll do everything I can for you."
"You"re a dear," he said kindly. "You always were."
"I"ll be your true friend--oh, yes, I will! Because I love you, Eustace. I"ve always loved you--I always shall. It can"t spoil anything now to tell you, because everything _is_ spoilt. She"ll never love you like I do. n.o.body ever will."
"You"re tired. I"ve bothered you. You"re saying this just to--because--"
"I"m saying it because it"s true. Why should you be the only one to speak the truth? Oh, Eustace--when you pretended to think I didn"t care, two years ago, I was too proud to speak the truth then. I"m not proud now any more. Go away. I wish I"d never seen you; I wish I"d never been born."
"Yes, dear, yes. I"ll go" he said, and rose. She buried her face in the cushion where his shoulder had been.
He was looking round for his hat and gloves--more uncomfortable than he ever remembered to have been.
As he reached the door she sprang up, and he heard the silken swish of her gray gown coming towards him.
"Say good-night," she pleaded. "Oh, Eustace, kiss me again--kindly, not like last time."
He met her half-way, took her in his arms and kissed her forehead very gently, very tenderly.
"My dearest Jasmine lady," he said, "it sounds an impertinence and I daresay you won"t believe it, but I was never so sorry in my life as I am now. I"m a beast, and I don"t deserve to live. Think what a beast I am--and try to hate me."
She, clung to him and laid her wet cheek against his. Then her lips implored his lips. There was a long silence. It was she--she was always glad of that--who at last found her courage, and drew back.
"Good-bye," she said. "I shall be quite sane to-morrow. And then I"ll help you."
When he got out into the street he looked at his watch. It was not yet ten o"clock. He hailed a carriage.