"I wish to confide in you,--if I may."
"Confidences are always interesting--especially in the country!"
"Duchess, I--I--have a confession to make."
"A confession, sir? Then I needn't pretend to work any longer--besides, I always prick myself. There!" And rolling the very small piece of embroidery into a ball, she gave it to Barnabas. "Pray sir, hide the odious thing in your pocket. Will you sit beside me? No? Very well--now, begin, sir!"
"Why, then, madam, in the first place, I--"
"Yes?"
"I--that is to say,--you--must understand that--in the first place--"
"You've said 'first place' twice!" nodded the Duchess as he paused.
"Yes--Oh!--Did I? Indeed I--I fear it is going to be even harder to speak of than I thought, and I have been nerving myself to tell you ever since I started from London."
"To tell me what?"
"That which may provoke your scorn of me, which may earn me Cleone's bitterest contempt."
"Why then, sir--don't say another word about it--"
"Ah, but I must--indeed I must! For I know now that to balk at it, to--to keep silent any longer would be dishonorable--and the act of a coward!"
"Oh dear me!" sighed the Duchess, "I fear you are going to be dreadfully heroic about something!"
"Let us say--truthful, madam!"
"But, sir,--surely Truthfulness, after all, is merely the last resource of the hopelessly incompetent! Anyhow it must be very uncomfortable, I'm sure," said the Duchess, nodding her head. Yet she was quick to notice the distress in his voice, and the gleam of moisture among the curls at his temple, hence her tone was more encouraging as she continued. "Still, sir, speak on if you wish, for even a Duchess may appreciate honor and truth--in another, of course,--though she does wear a wig!"
"Believe me," sighed Barnabas, beginning to stride restlessly to and fro, "the full significance of my conduct never occurred to me until it was forced on my notice by--by another, and then--" he paused and brushed the damp curls from his brow. "To-day I tried to write to Cleone--to tell her everything, but I--couldn't."
"So you decided to come and tell me first, which was very nice of you," nodded the Duchess, "oh, very right and proper! Well, sir, I'm listening."
"First, then," said Barnabas, coming to a halt, and looking down at her steadfast-eyed, "you must know that my real name is--Barty."
"Barty?" repeated the Duchess, raising her brows. "Mm! I like Beverley much better."
"Beverley was my mother's name. She was Joan Beverley."
"Joan? Joan Beverley? Why y-e-s, I think I remember her, and the talk there was. Joan? Ah yes, to be sure,--very handsome, and--disappeared. No one knew why, but now,--I begin to understand. You would suggest--"
"That she became the honorable wife of my father, John Barty, the celebrated pugilist and ex-champion of England, now keeper of a village inn," said Barnabas, speaking all in a breath, but maintaining his steadfast gaze.
"Eh?" cried the Duchess, and rose to her feet with astonishing ease for one of her years, "eh, sir, an innkeeper! And your mother--actually married him?" and the Duchess shivered.
"Yes, madam. I am their lawful son."
"Dreadful!" cried the Duchess, "handsome Joan Beverley--married to an--inn-keeper! Horrible! She'd much better have died--say, in a ditch--so much more respectable!"
"My father is an honorable man!" said Barnabas, with upflung head.
"Your father is--an inn-keeper!"
"And--my father, madam!"
"The wretch!" exclaimed the Duchess. "Oh, frightful!" and she shivered again.
"And his son--loves Cleone!"
"Dreadful! Frightful" cried the Duchess. "An inn-keeper's son! Beer and skittles and clay pipes! Oh, shocking!" And here, shuddering for the third time as only a great lady might, she turned her back on him.
"Ah," cried Barnabas, "so you scorn me--already?"
"Of course."
"For being--an inn-keeper's son?"
"For--telling of it!"
"And yet," said Barnabas, "I think Barnabas Barty is a better man than Barnabas Beverley, and a more worthy lover; indeed I know he is. And, as Barnabas Barty, I bid your Grace good-by!"
"Where are you going?"
"To the village inn, madam, my proper place, it seems. But--to-morrow morning, unless you have told Cleone, I shall. And now, if your Grace will have the kindness to send my servant to me--"
"But--why tell Cleone?" inquired the Duchess over her shoulder; "there is one alternative left to you."
"Then, madam, in heaven's name,--tell it me!" cried Barnabas eagerly.
"A ridiculously simple one, sir."
"Oh, madam--what can I do--pray tell me."
"You must--disown this inn-keeping wretch, of course. You must cast him off--now, at once, and forever!"
"Disown him--my father!"
"Certainly,"
Barnabas stared wide-eyed. Then he laughed, and uncovering his head, bowed deeply.
"Madam," said he, "I have the honor to bid your Grace good-by!"
"You--will tell Cleone then?"
"To-morrow morning."
"Why?"
"Because I love her. Because I, therefore, hate deceit, and because I--"
"Well?"
"And because Mr. Chichester knows already."
"Ah! You mean that he has forced your hand, sir, and now you would make the best of it--"
"I mean that he has opened my eyes, madam."
"And to-morrow you will tell Cleone?"
"Yes."
"And, of course, she will scorn you for an impudent impostor?"
Now at this Barnabas flinched, for these were Chichester's own words, and they bore a double sting.
"And yet--I must tell her!" he groaned.
"And afterwards, where shall you go?"
"Anywhere," he sighed, with a hopeless gesture.
"And--the race?"
"Will be run without me."
"And your friends--the Marquis, Viscount Devenham, and the rest?"
"Will, I expect, turn their gentlemanly backs upon me--as you yourself have done. So, madam, I thank you for your past kindness, and bid