“First rate, I am told. I do not know much about it myself.” They had risen, and were strolling along the path leading to the gate.
“Shall I see you down there — if I go?”
“Possibly. I shall have to go down for a day at least, to get my luggage, in case I decide not to renew my engagement with Lord Jasper.”
“I hope so,” said Marmaduke. Then, as they reached the gate, he proffered his hand, in spite of an inward shrinking, and said heartily, “Goodbye, old fellow. Youre looking as well as possible.”
Conolly took his hand, and retained it whilst he said: “Goodbye, Mr.
Lind. I am quite well, thank you. If I may ask — how is Susanna?”
Marmaduke was prevented by a spasm of the throat from replying. Before he recovered, Susanna herself, attired for her proposed trip to Hampton, emerged from the shrubbery and stood before them, confounded. Conolly, still wearing the cordial expression with which he had shaken Marmaduke’s hand, looked at her, then at her protector, and then at her again.
“I have been admiring the villa, Susanna,” said he, after an emphatic silence. “It is better than our place at Lambeth. You wont mind my hurrying away: I have a great deal to do in town. Goodbye. Goodbye, Mr. Lind.”
Susanna murmured something. Marmaduke, after making an effort to bid his guest goodbye genially, opened the gate, and stood for a minute watching him as he strode away.
“What does he care what becomes of me, the selfish brute!” cried
Susanna, passionately.
“He didnt complain: he has nothing to complain of,” said Marmaduke.
“Anyhow, why didnt he stay at home and look after you? By George,
Susanna, he is the coolest card I ever came across.”
“What brought him here?” she demanded, vehemently.
“That reminds me. I am afraid I must go down to Carbury for a few days.”
“And what am I to do here alone? Are you going to leave me too?”
“Well, I cannot be in two places at the same time. I suppose you can manage to get on without me for a few days.”
“I will go home. I can get on without you altogether. I will go home.”
“Come, Susanna! what is the use of kicking up a row? I cant afford to quarrel with all my people because you choose to be unreasonable.”
“What do I care about your people, or about you either?”
“Very well, then,” said Marmaduke, offended, “you can go home if you like. Perhaps your brother appreciates this sort of thing. I dont.”
“Ah, you coward! You taunt me because you think I have no home. Do you flatter yourself that I am dependent on you?”
“Hold your tongue,” said Marmaduke, fiercely. “Dont you turn on me in that fashion. Keep your temper if you want me to keep mine.”
“You have ruined me,” said Susanna, sitting down on the grass, and beginning to cry.
“Oh, upon my soul, this is too much,” said Marmaduke, with disgust. “Get up out of that and dont make a fool of yourself. Ruined indeed! Will you get up?”
“No!” screamed Susanna.
“Then stay where you are and be damned,” retorted Marmaduke, turning on his heel and walking toward the house. In the hall he met a maid carrying an empty champagne bottle and goblet.
“Missis is looking for you, sir,” said the maid.
“All right,” said Marmaduke, “I have seen her. Listen to me. I am going to the country. My man Mason will come here to-day to pack up my traps, and bring them after me. You had better take a note of my address from the card in the strap of my valise.”
“Yes, sir,” said the maid. “Any message for missis?”
“No,” said Marmaduke. He then changed his coat and hat, and went out again. As he approached the gate he met Susanna, who had risen and was walking toward the house.
“I am going to Carbury,” he said. “I dont know when I shall be back.”
She passed on disdainfully, as if she had not heard him.
CHAPTER VI
Three days later Lord Carbury came to luncheon with a letter in his hand. Marian had not yet come in; and the Rev. George was absent, his place being filled by Marmaduke.
“Good news for you and Constance, mother.”
“Indeed?” said the Countess, smiling.
“Yes. Conolly is coming down this afternoon to collect his traps and leave you forever.”
“Really, Jasper, you exaggerate Mr. Conolly’s importance. Intelligence of his movements can hardly be news — good or bad — either to me or to Constance.”
“I am glad he is going,” said Constance, “for Jasper’s sake.”
“Thank you,” replied Jasper. “I thought you would be. He will be a great loss to me.”
“Nonsense!” said the Countess. “If another workman is needed, another can easily be had.”
“If I can be of any assistance to you, old man,” said Marmaduke, “make what use of me you like. I picked up something about the business yesterday.”
“Yes,” said Elinor. “While you were away, Jasper, he went to the laboratory with Constance, and fired off a brass cannon with your new pile until he had used up all the gunpowder and spoiled the panels of the door. That is what he calls picking up something about the business.”
“Nothing like experiment for convincing you of the power of electricity,” said Marmaduke. “Is there, Conny?”
“It’s very wonderful; but I hate shots.”
“Where is Marian?” said Lady Carbury.
“I left her in the summer-house in the fruit garden,” said Elinor. “She was reading.”
“She must have forgotten the hour,” said the Countess. “She has been moping, I think, for the last few days. I hope she is not unwell. But she would never stay away from luncheon intentionally. I shall send for her.”
“I’ll go,” said Marmaduke, eagerly.
“No, no, Duke. You must not leave the table. I will send a servant.”
“I will fetch her here in half the time that any servant will. Poor
Marian, why shouldnt she have her lunch? I shall be back in a jiffy.”
“What a restless, extraordinary creature he is!” said Lady Carbury, displeased, as Marmaduke hastily left the room. “The idea of a man leaving the table in that way!”
“I suspect he has his reasons,” said Elinor.
“I think it is a perfectly natural thing for him to do,” said Constance, pettishly. “I see nothing extraordinary in it.”
Marmaduke found Marian reading in the summer-house in the fruit garden. She looked at him in lazy surprise as he seated himself opposite to her at the table.
“This is the first chance I’ve had of talking to you privately since I came down,” he said. “I believe you have been