"Father," he said, "did you notice? Do you think Mistress Atherton will be able to stay here?"
He saw to his astonishment that the priest"s melancholy face, as the starlight fell on it, was smiling.
"Why, yes, Sir James. She is happy enough."
"But my wife--"
"Sir James, I think Mistress Atherton may do her good. She--" he hesitated.
"Well?" said the old man.
"She--Lady Torridon has met her match," said the chaplain, still smiling.
Sir James made a little gesture of bewilderment.
"Well, come in, Chris. I do not understand; but if you both think so--"
He broke off and opened the door.
Lady Torridon was gone to her room; and the two girls were alone.
Beatrice was standing before the hearth with her hands behind her back--a gallant upright figure; as they came in, she turned a cheerful face to them.
"Your daughter has been apologising, Sir James," she said; and there was a ripple of amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice. "She thinks I have been hardly treated."
She glanced at the bewildered Margaret, who was staring at her under her delicate eyebrows with wide eyes of amazement and admiration.
Sir James looked confused.
"The truth is, Mistress Atherton, that I too--and my son--"
"Well, not your son," said Chris smiling.
"You too!" cried Beatrice. "And how have I been hardly treated?"
"Well, I thought perhaps, that what was said at supper--" began the old man, beginning to smile too.
"Lady Torridon, and every one, has been all that is hospitable," said Beatrice. "It is like old days at Chelsea. I love word-fencing; and there are so few who practise it."
Sir James was still a little perplexed.
"You a.s.sure me, Mistress, that you are not distressed by--by anything that has pa.s.sed?"
"Distressed!" she cried. "Why, it is a real happiness!"
But he was not yet satisfied.
"You will engage to tell me then, if you think you are improperly treated by--by anyone--?"
"Why, yes," said the girl, smiling into his eyes. "But there is no need to promise that. I am really happy; and I am sure your daughter and I will be good friends."
She turned a little towards Margaret; and Chris saw a curious emotion of awe and astonishment and affection in his sister"s eyes.
"Come, my dear," said Beatrice. "You said you would take me to my room."
Sir James hastened to push open the further door that led to the stairs; and the two girls pa.s.sed out together.
Then he shut the door, and turned to his son. Chris had begun to laugh.
CHAPTER III
A PEACE-MAKER
It was a very strange household that Christmas at Overfield. Mary and her husband came over with their child, and the entire party, with the exception of the duellists themselves, settled down to watch the conflict between Lady Torridon and Beatrice Atherton. Its prolongation was possible because for days together the hostess retired into a fortress of silence, whence she looked out cynically, shrugged her shoulders, smiled almost imperceptibly, and only sallied when she found she could not provoke an attack. Beatrice never made an a.s.sault; was always ready for the least hint of peace; but guarded deftly and struck hard when she was directly threatened. Neither would she ever take an insult; the bitterest dart fell innocuous on her bright shield before she struck back smiling; but there were some sharp moments of anxiety now and again as she hesitated how to guard.
A silence would fall suddenly in the midst of the talk and clatter at table; there would be a momentary kindling of glances, as from the tall chair opposite the chaplain a psychological atmosphere of peril made itself felt; then the blow would be delivered; the weapons clashed; and once more the talk rose high and genial over the battlefield.
The moment when Beatrice"s position in the house came nearest to being untenable, was one morning in January, when the whole party were a.s.sembled on the steps to see the sportsmen off for the day.
Sir James was down with the foresters and hounds at the further end of the terrace, arranging the details of the day; Margaret had not yet come out of chapel, and Lady Torridon, who had had a long fit of silence, was standing with Mary and Nicholas at the head of the central stairs that led down from the terrace to the gravel.
Christopher and Beatrice came out of the house behind, talking cheerfully; for the two had become great friends since they had learnt to understand one another, and Beatrice had confessed to him frankly that she had been wrong and he right in the matter of Ralph. She had told him this a couple of days after her arrival; but there had been a certain constraint in her manner that forbade his saying much in answer.
Here they came then, now, in the frosty sunshine; he in his habit and she in her morning house-dress of silk and lace, talking briskly.
"I was sure you would understand, father," she said, as they came up behind the group.
Then Lady Torridon turned and delivered her point, suddenly and brutally.
"Of course he will," she said. "I suppose then you are not going out, Mistress Atherton." And she glanced with an offensive contempt at the girl and the monk. Beatrice"s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and opened again.
"Why, no, Lady Torridon."
"I thought not," said the other; and again she glanced at the two--"for I see the priest is not."
There was a moment"s silence. Nick was looking at his wife with a face of dismay. Then Beatrice answered smiling.
"Neither are you, dear Lady Torridon. Is not that enough to keep me?"
A short yelp of laughter broke from Nicholas; and he stooped to examine his boot.
Lady Torridon opened her lips, closed them again, and turned her back on the girl.
"But you are cruel," said Beatrice"s voice from behind, "and--"