"And what then, dearest?" he laughed. "Why your fears are utterly groundless."
"I know, but--"
"But what?"
"Well, dad would be annoyed--that"s all--annoyed with both of us."
"He must already have seen, darling, that I love you. He isn"t blind,"
said Charlie Rolfe, moving slowly along at her side.
Hers was, indeed, a face that would attract attention anywhere, oval, delicately moulded, slightly flushed by the momentary excitement of meeting her lover. Her hair was well-dressed, her narrow-waisted figure still girlish; her dress, a pale biscuit-coloured cloth, which, in its refined simplicity, suited well the graceful contour of the slender form, and contrasted admirably with the soft white skin; the dark hair, a stray coquettish little wisp of which fell across her brow beneath her neat black hat, and the dark brown eyes, so large, luminous, and expressive.
Her gaze met his. Every sensitive feature, every quiet graceful movement told plainly of her culture and refinement, while on her face there rested an indescribable charm, a look of shy, sweet humility, of fond and all-consuming love for the man beside her.
As she lifted her eyes at the words of affection he was whispering into her ear as they went along the quiet, deserted street, she perceived how tall and athletic he was, and noticed, woman-like, the masculine perfection of his dress, alike removed from slovenliness and foppery.
"No," she said at last, her eyes gazing in abstraction in front of her.
"I don"t suppose dad is in any way blind. He generally is too wide-awake. I have to make all sorts of excuses to get out-- dressmakers, painting-lessons, buying evening gloves, a broken watch-- and all sorts of thing like that. The fact is," she declared, laughing sweetly and glancing again at him, "I have almost exhausted all the subterfuges."
"Ah, dearest, a woman can always find some excuse," he remarked, joining in her laughter.
"Yes, but that"s all very well; you haven"t a father," she protested, "so you don"t know."
She had only left school at Brighton two years before, therefore her clandestine meetings with Charlie Rolfe were adventures which she dearly loved. And, moreover, they both of them were devoted to each other.
Charlie absolutely adored her. Hitherto women had never attracted him, but from the day of their introduction on the gravelled walk in front of the Villa des Fleurs at Aix, his whole life had changed. He was hers-- hers utterly and entirely.
For three months he had existed in constant uncertainty, until one warm evening at Scarborough--where she and her father were staying at the Grand--while they were alone together in the sloping garden of the Spa he summoned courage to tell her the secret of his heart, and to his overwhelming joy found that his pa.s.sion was reciprocated. Thus had they become lovers.
As Max rightly guessed, he had feared for the present to tell Dr Petrovitch the truth lest he should object and a parting be the result.
His position was not what he wished it to be. As secretary to the eccentric old financier, his salary was an adequate one, but not sufficient to provide Maud with a home such as her own. He therefore intended in a little while to tell old Statham the truth, and to ask for more. And until he had done so, he hesitated to demand of the Doctor his daughter"s hand.
Together they strolled slowly on, chatting as lovers will. At the bottom of Fopstone Road they continued round the crescent of Philbeach Gardens, along Warwick Road, and crossing Old Brompton Road, entered that maze of quiet, eminently respectable streets in the neighbourhood of Redcliffe Square, strolling slowly on in the falling gloom.
"Do you know, darling," he exclaimed at last, "I wanted to see you very particularly this evening, because I am leaving London to-night for Servia."
"For Servia!" she cried, halting and fixing her great eyes upon his in quick surprise.
"Yes."
Her countenance fell.
"Then you--you are leaving me?"
"It is imperative, my darling," he said, in a low, tender voice, taking her hand in his. He wished to kiss her sweet lips, but there in the open street such action was impossible. Courtship in our grimy, matter-of-fact London has many drawbacks, even though every house contains its life-romance and every street holds its man or woman with a broken heart.
"But you never told me," she complained. "You"ve left it until the last minute. Do you start from Charing Cross to-night?"
"Yes. I would leave to-morrow at nine, and catch the Orient express from Calais for Belgrade, but I have business to do in Paris to-morrow."
"Ah! Belgrade!" sighed the girl. "I wonder if I shall ever see it again? Long ago I used to be so fond of it, and we had so very many good friends. Dear old dad is so popular. Why, when we drove out the people in their brown homespun clothes used to run after the carriage and cheer `Petrovitch the Patriot," as they call dad."
"Of course you will return soon," Charlie said. "No doubt your father will be induced to enter the new Pas.h.i.tch Cabinet."
The girl shook her head dubiously.
"I know the King has several times asked him to return to Servia, but for some mysterious reason he has always declined."
"But he is the most popular man in the country, and he cannot remain away much longer. It is his duty to return and a.s.sist in the Government."
"Yes. But my mother died in Belgrade, you know, and I think that may be the reason he does not care to return," replied the girl. "Why are you going there?" she asked.
"On a mission for Statham--regarding a mining concession," he answered.
"You know we have a lot of interests out there. Perhaps I shall be away only a week or two--perhaps six months."
"Six months!" she cried in a blank voice. "It is such a long, long time to look forward to."
"I have no desire to leave you, my own darling," he declared, looking straight into her beautiful face. "But the mission is confidential, and for that reason I have received orders to go."
"Your train leaves at nine," she said, "and it is already nearly seven-- only two hours! And those two remaining hours I cannot spend with you, for I must be in to dinner at seven. I must leave you in a moment," she added, and the faint flush in her face died away.
Her voice ceased. He looked down musing, without replying. He was impressed by her utter loneliness--impressed, too, without knowing it by the time and place. The twilight of the short evening was gathering fast. A cold damp feeling was mingled with the silence of the dull, drab London street. It struck him that it felt like a grave.
A slight nervous trembling came over his well-beloved, and a weary little sigh escaped her lips.
That sigh of hers recalled him to a sense of her distress at his departure, and the face that met her troubled eyes was, in an instant, as full as ever of resolute hopefulness.
"What matters, my own, if I am away?" he asked with a smile. "We love each other, and that is all-sufficient."
All the pity of his strong, tender nature went forth to the lovely girl whom he loved with such strong pa.s.sionate devotion.
"What matter, indeed!" she cried, hoa.r.s.ely, tears springing to her eyes.
"Is it no matter that I see you, Charlie? Ah! you do not know how I count the hours when we shall meet again--how--how--" And unable to further restrain her emotion, she burst into tears.
He was silent. What, indeed, could he say?
Reflections, considerations, possibilities crowded in upon his mind, already disturbed and perplexed. The sweetness of the hours pa.s.sed in her society had increased insensibly ever since that well-remembered afternoon in Aix; the tones of her voice, the notes of those melodious old Servian songs she so often sang, her slightest action held a charm for him such as his earnest nature had never experienced before.
And they must part.
Within himself he doubted whether they would ever meet again. He had secret fears--fears of something that was in progress--something that might entirely change his life--something he held secret from her.
But he put the thought away. It was a horrible reflection--a qualm of conscience. What would she think of him if she actually knew the truth?
He bit his lip, and in resolution again took her white-gloved hand.
"No, darling," he said, softly, in an earnest effort to cheer her. "I will return very soon. Be brave, and remember that my every thought is of you always--of you, my love."
"I know," she sobbed. "I know, Charlie, but--but I cannot really help it. Forgive me."