第36章 CHAPTER VIII(2)

I felt as if they were all glad when I went away, and I don't wish to go to the Castle--and I won't go either."

"But if Basil wishes to go----"

"He can go alone. I rather think Fred Mostyn will be here in a few days, and he will take me to places that Basil will not--innocent places enough, Ethel, so you need not look so shocked. Why do you not ask me to Rawdon Court?""Because I am only a guest there. I have no right to ask you.""I am sure if you told Squire Rawdon how fond you are of me, and how lonely I am, he would tell you to send for me.""I do not believe he would. He has old- fashioned ideas about newly married people.

He would hardly think it possible that you would be willing to go anywhere without Basil--yet.""He could ask Basil too."

"If Mr. Mostyn is coming home, he can ask you to Mostyn Hall. It is very near Rawdon Court.""Yes. Fred said as soon as he had possession of the Court he could put both places into a ring fence. Then he would live at the Court. If he asks us there next summer Ishall be sure to beg an invitation for you also;so I think you might deserve it by getting me one now. I don't want to go to Mostyn yet.

Fred says it needs entire refurnishing, and if we come to the Court next summer, I have promised to give him my advice and help in making the place pretty and up to date. Have you seen Mostyn Hall?""I have passed it several times. It is a large, gloomy-looking place I was going to say haunted-looking. It stands in a grove of yew trees.""So you are not going to ask me to Rawdon Court?""I really cannot, Dora. It is not my house. I am only a guest there.""Never mind. Make no more excuses. I see how it is. You always were jealous of Fred's liking for me. And of course when he goes down to Mostyn you would prefer me to be absent.""Good-by, Dora! I have a deal of shopping to do, and there is not much time before the ball, for many things will be to make.""The ball! What ball?"

"Only one at Rawdon Court. The neighbors have been exceedingly kind to us, and the Squire is going to give a dinner and ball on the first of August.""Sit down and tell me about the neighbors --and the ball.""I cannot. I promised Ruth to be back at five. Our modiste is to see us at that hour.""So Ruth is with you! Why did she not call on me?""Did you think I should come to London alone? And Ruth did not call because she was too busy.""Everyone and everything comes before me now. I used to be first of all. I wish Iwere in Newport with dad and mamma; even Bryce would be a comfort.""As I said before, you have Mr. Stanhope."

"Are you going to send for me to the ball?"

"I cannot promise that, Dora. Good-by."

Dora did not answer. She buried her face in the soft pillow, and Ethel closed the door to the sound of her sobs. But they did not cause her to return or to make any foolish promises. She divined their insincerity and their motive, and had no mind to take any part in forwarding the latter.

And Ruth assured her she had acted wisely.

"If trouble should ever come of this friendship,"she said, "Dora would very likely complain that you had always thrown Mostyn in her way, brought him to her house in New York, and brought her to him at Rawdon, in England. Marriage is such a risk, Ethel, but to marry without the courage to adapt oneself. AH!""You think that condition unspeakably hard?""There are no words for it."

"Dora was not reticent, I assure you."

"I am sorry. A wife's complaints are self- inflicted wounds; scattered seeds, from which only misery can spring. I hope you will not see her again at this time.""I made no promise to do so."

"And where all is so uncertain, we had better suppose all is right than that all is wrong. Even if there was the beginning of wrong, it needs but an accident to prevent it, and there are so many.""Accidents!"

"Yes, for accident is God's part in affairs.

We call it accident; it would be better to say an interposition.""Dora told me Mostyn intended to buy Rawdon Court in September, and he has even invited the Stanhopes to stay there next summer.""What did you say?"

"Nothing against it."

"Very good. Do you think Mostyn is in London now?""I should not wonder. I am sure Dora is expecting him."In fact, the next morning they met Dora and Basil Stanhope, driving in Hyde Park with Mostyn, but the smiling greeting which passed between the parties did not, except in the case of Basil Stanhope, fairly represent the dominant feeling of anyone. As for Stanhope, his nature was so clear and truthful that he would hardly have comprehended a smile which was intended to veil feelings not to be called either quite friendly or quite pleasant. After this meeting all the joy went out of Ruth and Ethel's shopping. They wanted to get back to the Court, and they attended strictly to business in order to do so.

Mostyn followed them very quickly. He was exceedingly anxious to see and hear for himself how his affairs regarding Rawdon stood. They were easily made plain to him, and he saw with a pang of disappointment that all his hopes of being Squire of Rawdon Manor were over. Every penny he could righteously claim was paid to him, and on the title deeds of the ancient place he had no longer the shadow of a claim. The Squire looked ten years younger as he affectionately laid both hands on the redeemed parchments, and Mostyn with enforced politeness congratulated him on their integrity and then made a hurried retreat. Of its own kind this disappointment was as great as the loss of Dora. He could think of neither without a sense of immeasurable and disastrous failure.

One petty satisfaction regarding the payment of the mortgage was his only com-fort. He might now show McLean that it was not want of money that had made him hitherto shy of "the good investments" offered him. He had been sure McLean in their last interview had thought so, and had, indeed, felt the half-veiled contempt with which the rich young man had expressed his pity for Mostyn's inability to take advantage at the right moment of an exceptional chance to play the game of beggaring his neighbor.