the hand of ethelberta-第67章

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head　of　his　friend　Ladywell；　gazing　right　and　left　likewise；
apparently　just　drawn　out　by　the　same　voice　which　had　attracted
himself。

'Whatyou；　Neigh！how　strange；'　came　from　Ladywell's　lips　before
he　had　time　to　recollect　that　great　coolness　existed　between　himself
and　Neigh　on　Ethelberta's　account；　which　had　led　to　the　reduction　of
their　intimacy　to　the　most　attenuated　of　nods　and　good…mornings　ever
since　the　Harlequin…rose　incident　at　Cripplegate。

'Yes；　it　is　rather　strange；'　said　Neigh；　with　saturnine　evenness。
'Still　a　fellow　must　be　somewhere。'

Each　then　looked　over　his　window…sill　downwards；　upon　the　speakers
who　had　attracted　them　thither。

Lord　Mountclere　uttered　something　in　a　low　tone　which　did　not　reach
the　young　men；　to　which　Ethelberta　replied；　'As　I　have　said；　Lord
Mountclere；　I　cannot　give　you　an　answer　now。　　I　must　consider　what
to　do　with　Mr。　Neigh　and　Mr。　Ladywell。　　It　is　too　sudden　for　me　to
decide　at　once。　　I　could　not　do　so　until　I　have　got　home　to　England；
when　I　will　write　you　a　letter；　stating　frankly　my　affairs　and　those
of　my　relatives。　　I　shall　not　consider　that　you　have　addressed　me　on
the　subject　of　marriage　until；　having　received　my　letter；　you'

'Repeat　my　proposal；'　said　Lord　Mountclere。

'Yes。'

'My　dear　Mrs。　Petherwin；　it　is　as　good　as　repeated！　　But　I　have　no
right　to　assume　anything　you　don't　wish　me　to　assume；　and　I　will
wait。　　How　long　is　it　that　I　am　to　suffer　in　this　uncertainty？'

'A　month。　　By　that　time　I　shall　have　grown　weary　of　my　other　two
suitors。'

'A　month！　　Really　inflexible？'

Ethelberta　had　returned　inside　the　window；　and　her　answer　was
inaudible。　　Ladywell　and　Neigh　looked　up；　and　their　eyes　met。　　Both
had　been　reluctant　to　remain　where　they　stood；　but　they　were　too
fascinated　to　instantly　retire。　　Neigh　moved　now；　and　Ladywell　did
the　same。　　Each　saw　that　the　face　of　his　companion　was　flushed。

'Come　in　and　see　me；'　said　Ladywell　quickly；　before　quite
withdrawing　his　head。　　'I　am　staying　in　this　room。'

'I　will；'　said　Neigh；　and　taking　his　hat　he　left　Ethelberta's
apartment　forthwith。

On　entering　the　quarters　of　his　friend　he　found　him　seated　at　a
table　whereon　writing　materials　were　strewn。　　They　shook　hands　in
silence；　but　the　meaning　in　their　looks　was　enough。

'Just　let　me　write　a　note；　Ladywell；　and　I'm　your　man；'　said　Neigh
then；　with　the　freedom　of　an　old　acquaintance。

'I　was　going　to　do　the　same　thing；'　said　Ladywell。

Neigh　then　sat　down；　and　for　a　minute　or　two　nothing　was　to　be　heard
but　the　scratching　of　a　pair　of　pens；　ending　on　the　one　side　with　a
more　boisterous　scratch；　as　the　writer　shaped　'Eustace　Ladywell；'
and　on　the　other　with　slow　firmness　in　the　characters　'Alfred
Neigh。'

'There's　for　you；　my　fair　one；'　said　Neigh；　closing　and　directing
his　letter。

'Yours　is　for　Mrs。　Petherwin？　　So　is　mine；'　said　Ladywell；　grasping
the　bell…pull。　　'Shall　I　direct　it　to　be　put　on　her　table　with　this
one？'

'Thanks。'　　And　the　two　letters　went　off　to　Ethelberta's　sitting…
room；　which　she　had　vacated　to　receive　Lord　Mountclere　in　an　empty
one　beneath。　　Neigh's　letter　was　simply　a　pleading　of　a　sudden　call
away　which　prevented　his　waiting　till　she　should　return；　Ladywell's；
though　stating　the　same　reason　for　leaving；　was　more　of　an
upbraiding　nature；　and　might　almost　have　told　its　reader；　were　she
to　take　the　trouble　to　guess；　that　he　knew　of　the　business　of　Lord
Mountclere　with　her　to…day。

'Now；　let　us　get　out　of　this　place；'　said　Neigh。　　He　proceeded　at
once　down　the　stairs；　followed　by　Ladywell；　whosettling　his
account　at　the　bureau　without　calling　for　a　bill；　and　directing　his
portmanteau　to　be　sent　to　the　Right…bank　railway　stationwent　with
Neigh　into　the　street。

They　had　not　walked　fifty　yards　up　the　quay　when　two　British
workmen；　in　holiday　costume；　who　had　just　turned　the　corner　of　the
Rue　Jeanne　d'Arc；　approached　them。　　Seeing　him　to　be　an　Englishman；
one　of　the　two　addressed　Neigh；　saying；　'Can　you　tell　us　the　way；
sir；　to　the　Hotel　Bold　Soldier？'

Neigh　pointed　out　the　place　he　had　just　come　from　to　the　tall　young
men；　and　continued　his　walk　with　Ladywell。

Ladywell　was　the　first　to　break　silence。　　'I　have　been　considerably
misled；　Neigh；'　he　said；　'and　I　imagine　from　what　has　just　happened
that　you　have　been　misled　too。'

'Just　a　little；'　said　Neigh；　bringing　abstracted　lines　of　meditation
into　his　face。　　'But　it　was　my　own　fault：　　for　I　ought　to　have　known
that　these　stage　and　platform　women　have　what　they　are　pleased　to
call　Bohemianism　so　thoroughly　engrained　with　their　natures　that
they　are　no　more　constant　to　usage　in　their　sentiments　than　they　are
in　their　way　of　living。　　Good　Lord；　to　think　she　has　caught　old
Mountclere！　　She　is　sure　to　have　him　if　she　does　not　dally　with　him
so　long　that　he　gets　cool　again。'

'A　beautiful　creature　like　her　to　think　of　marrying　such　an
infatuated　idiot　as　he！'

'He　can　give　her　a　title　as　well　as　younger　men。　　It　will　not　be　the
first　time　that　such　matches　have　been　made。'

'I　can't　believe　it；'　said　Ladywell　vehemently。　　'She　has　too　much
poetry　in　hertoo　much　good　sense；　her　nature　is　the　essence　of　all
that's　romantic。　　I　can't　help　saying　it；　though　she　has　treated　me
cruelly。'

'She　has　good　looks；　certainly。　　I'll　own　to　that。　　As　for　her
romance　and　good…feeling；　that　I　leave　to　you。　　I　think　she　has
treated　you　no　more　cruelly；　as　you　call　it；　than　she　has　me；　come
to　that。'

'She　told　me　she　would　give　me　an　answer　in　a　month；'　said　Ladywell
emotionally。

'So　she　told　me；'　said　Neigh。

'And　so　she　told　him；'　said　Ladywell。

'And　I　have　no　doubt　she　will　keep　her　word　to　him　in　her　usual
precise　manner。'

'But　see　what　she　implied　to　me！　　I　distinctly　understood　from　her
that　the　answer　would　be　favourable。'

'So　did　I。'

'So　does　he。'

'And　he　is　sure　to　be　the　one　who　gets　it；　since　only　one　of　us　can。
Well；　I　wouldn't　marry　her　for　love；　money；　nor'

'Offspring。'

'Exactly：　　I　would　not。　　〃I'll　give　you　an　answer　in　a　month　〃to
all　three　of　us！　　For　God's　sake　let's　sit　down　here　and　have
something　to　drink。'

They　drew　up　a　couple　of　chairs　to　one　of　the　tables　of　a　wine…shop
close　by；　and　shouted　to　the　waiter　with　the　vigour　of　persons　going
to　the　dogs。　　Here；　behind　the　horizontal…headed　trees　that　dotted
this　part　of　the　quay；　they　sat　over　their　bottles　denouncing
womankind　till　the　sun　got　low　down　upon　the　river；　and　the　houses
on　the　further　side　began　to　be　toned　by　a　blue　mist。　　At　last　they
rose　from　their　seats　and　departed；　Neigh　to　dine　and　consider　his
route；　and　Ladywell　to　take　the　train　for　Dieppe。

While　these　incidents　had　been　in　progress　the　two　workmen　had　found
their　way　into　the　hotel　where　Ethelberta　was　staying。　　Passing
through　the　entrance；　they　stood　at　gaze　in　the　court；　much
perplexed　as　to　the　door　to　be　made　for；　the　difficulty　was　solved
by　the　appearance　of　Cornelia；　who　in　expectation　of　them　had　been
for　the　last　half…hour　leaning　over　the　sill　of　her　bed…room　window；
which　looked　into　the　interior；　amusing　herself　by　watching　the
movements　to　and　fro　in　the　court　beneath。

After　conversing　awhile　in　undertones　as　if　they　had　no　real　right
there　at　all；　Cornelia　told　them　she　would　call　their　sister；　if　an
old　gentleman　who　had　been　to　see　her　were　gone　again。　　Cornelia
then　ran　away；　and　Sol　and　Dan　stood　aloof；　till　they　had　seen　the
old　gentleman　alluded　to　go　to　the　door　and　drive　off；　shortly　after
which　Ethelberta　ran　down　to　meet　them。

'Whatever　have　you　got　as　your　luggage？'　she　said；　after　hearing　a
few　words　about　their　journey；　and　looking　at　a　curious　object　like
a　huge　extended　accordion　with　bellows　of　gorgeous…patterned
carpeting。

'Well；　I　thought　to　myself；'　said　Sol；　''tis　a　terrible　bother　about
carrying　our　things。　　So　what　did　I　do　but　turn　to　and　make　a
carpet…bag　that　would　hold　all　mine　and　Dan's　too。　　This；　you　see；
Berta；　is　a　deal　top　and　bottom　out　of　three…quarter　stuff；　stained
and　varnished。　　Well；　then　you　see　I've　got　carpet　sides　tacked　on
with　these　brass　nails；　which　make　it　look　very　handsome；　and　so
when　my　bag　is　empty　'twill　shut　up　and　be　only