"You might make a sketch, you know, of the early birds getting up to catch the worms. But--I don"t think I shall. Anyhow, not _to-morrow_ at _half-past three_."
"All right," said Harry with a nod, "we won"t. Don"t tell Daphne, or she"ll be out at 3.15 to the tick, to take a snapshot of the dawn."
"A snapshot of the dawn! Wouldn"t that be sacrilege?"
"Young girls are always inclined to that. They"re so prosaic," said Harry, getting up. "I must go and see what Van is doing."
He walked away with his usual quick, supple step and casual bearing.
They watched his slim figure as he went. Then Romer followed him, slowly.
Vaughan turned to Valentia and said: "I shouldn"t if I were you."
"Wouldn"t what?"
"Why, meet Harry at half-past three to-morrow morning in the rose garden."
"Good gracious! I never thought of doing such a thing. Besides, it was your idea.... As a matter of fact, I really a.s.sure you it wouldn"t be here. It would be in the orchard if anywhere. There is the loveliest cherry-tree there, with a seat all round it."
"How jolly! I"d like to see it. Will you give me the key?"
"Who told you it was kept locked?"
She looked rather annoyed.
"You did, but not intentionally."
"I don"t see that you have really any right to suppose----Why shouldn"t I go in my own orchard, at any hour I like?"
"But, Val--of course you ought to go in your own orchard. But why don"t you meet Romer there?"
"Oh, Gillie, really!..."
"He is so straight, so good-looking, and, under all that manner, he"s exactly like Vesuvius. Yes. Fancy, you"re living with a volcano and you don"t appreciate it!"
"Gillie, it"s really rather stupid of you to put things like that. It isn"t a question of liking either one person _or_ another. If Romer were ill, or anything like that, don"t you _know_----"
"I know you"d devote yourself to him, like a sister or a mother. You"d put Harry aside for a time as a pleasure that mustn"t be indulged in.
Now that"s just where you"re wrong. No! _I_ want to see you being ever so good and kind to dear Harry as a duty to a ne"er-do-well of a cousin; and regarding Romer----"
She did not answer.
"My point is," he went on, "that it"s really too distressingly conventional of you to suppose that because you happen to be legally married there can be no sort of romance. Only comradeship, or perhaps affectionate sentiment? That"s what you believe."
"Isn"t it always so?"
"Most often, I grant. That"s generally through the man"s point of view.
But Romer is an exception. He"s as much in love as if he had no hope of ever being within a mile of you."
She seemed rather flattered. "Do you really think so? But even that isn"t everything."
"Oh, there"s a great deal to be done with Romer," was Vaughan"s reply.
He spoke with dreamy significance, and she was silent. Then she exclaimed, turning round suddenly--
"I suppose what you really mean is that Harry doesn"t care a bit about me?"
"No, I don"t. But he cares a bit about a lot of people, and things. He"s superficial, and he has no courage."
"No courage? _Harry!_"
"He"d crumble up in a crisis if a strong man took him in hand."
"That"s all nonsense." She was growing angry. "Hasn"t he been up in an aeroplane, and done--oh, all sorts of things? I call Harry daring and brave!"
"That"s all vanity. All that is show and vanity. Oh, Valentia, do forgive me."
"I"ll try.... here he is."
He was seen coming towards them again. Her anger flickered out at once.
"I suppose he thinks we"ve been here long enough," she said, smiling as women do at such symptoms.
"Of course he does. Vanity--just vanity." Vaughan strolled away.
"Look here! What were you two talking about?"
"Nothing. About you, Harry."
"Rubbish. What was he talking about?"
"You, only you."
"I can"t see that that chap"s so brilliant! It seems to me he"s just like anybody else. And his work shows it too, really. No soul, no real heart in it. All from the outside."
"Nonsense, Harry, n.o.body is more kind-hearted, more----"
"Look here, Val, I won"t have it. Do you hear?"
"Have what, Harry?"
He lowered his voice. "I won"t have it. You must go back. It isn"t that _I_ mind. But Romer will soon think it extraordinary, your sitting out alone so long."
"No, he won"t."
"All right then, he won"t. He must be an a.s.s," said Harry angrily. "I don"t know what he"s thinking of. Hasn"t he got eyes?"
"Yes, of course he has."