distinguished, but said, “ Oh, very well! Let the wench remain, then, ” indicating Jenny with a look of loathing. “ The rest of you—clear out! Yes — you as well, ” to Fitzjohn, who seemed as if he wished to say something to his uncle. “ I will see you later! ”
The instant they were all outside Lord Bollington ’ s chamber, Mr. Fitzjohn took the bishop ’ s arm and led him away, calling back some brief explanation over his shoulder as he did so.
“ Allow me to escort you back to the library, Miss Carteret, ” said Mr. Penistone.
Delphie cast a quick nervous look backward, in case the old man might have caught the name Miss Carteret, but the door was already closed.
“ Thank you, ” she said absently, “ you are very good, ” and was silent for the rest of the short walk downstairs. Something about the artificiality of the brief, odd constrained ceremony had moved her very strangely: the bitter old man, churlish in his loneliness and guilt, beset by superstitious terrors; the hot, close, dim room; the total lack of any sympathy or affection for the dying man in his last illness; the two cousins, impassively practicing their deceit by means of this elaborate pretense; these things had affected her deeply, and gave her a feeling of inexpressible sadness. But she could hardly expect that the same impression had been made on Mr. Penistone. When they reached the library, therefore, rather than remain with him, alone in another uncomfortable silence, she said,
“ Pray, sir, do not feel that you need be at the trouble of keeping me company. No doubt, now that you have achieved the end for which you came to Chase, you have many things that you will wish to be doing— ”
Without immediately answering her, he turned and tugged at the bellpull. Then he said, with some difficulty, it seemed,
“ Miss Carteret—I cannot express to you how much I disliked the—the necessity of—of going through the performance which has just been concluded. Believe me, if I could have seen any means of avoiding it, I would have done so. But one kind of unreasonable behavior leads to another. My uncle brought it on himself. ”
“ Pray do not concern yourself, sir, ” she answered coolly. “ In order to achieve pos s ession of a fortune, I believe it is occasionally necessary to do things which one may dislike. ”
His eyes flashed. “ You do not understand how matters are in the very least! It was not only my own interests which were at stake—you do not realize how I am circumstanced—I was not the only party who would have been struck out of my uncle ’ s will — other, innocent persons would also have suffered— ”
“ Do not be at the trouble of explaining, sir. I perfectly comprehend the case. There was also the—ah—the other Miss Carteret to be taken into consideration! Little did she realize, when electing to remain in Bath for that tempting Assembly, that she ran the risk of being disinherited—all for the sake of a waltz or two and a few quadrilles. ”
“ She had nothing to do with the matter! ” snapped Mr. Penistone. “ If it were only for her sake—but I cannot explain to you! ”
“ No, and I beg that you will be at no further pains to do so. It is not of the smallest consequence, after all! ”
A young nervous footman came into the room, and said,
“ Axing your pardon, Mr. Gareth, but Mr. Fidd ’ s upstairs with his lordship. ”
“ That ’ s all right, Cowley—bring us a couple of bottles of champagne, will you? ”
Evidently trying for a lighter note, Penistone said, as Cowley left the room,
“ The servants know a marriage has been performed, and they will be expecting some health-drinking! ”
“ But I do not quite understand, ” Delphie said, wrinkling her forehead, “ how it is to be accounted for in the household that you have apparently been married to the wrong lady. ”
“ Oh, there is no trouble about that. Elaine has never been here; nobody but my cousin
The instant they were all outside Lord Bollington ’ s chamber, Mr. Fitzjohn took the bishop ’ s arm and led him away, calling back some brief explanation over his shoulder as he did so.
“ Allow me to escort you back to the library, Miss Carteret, ” said Mr. Penistone.
Delphie cast a quick nervous look backward, in case the old man might have caught the name Miss Carteret, but the door was already closed.
“ Thank you, ” she said absently, “ you are very good, ” and was silent for the rest of the short walk downstairs. Something about the artificiality of the brief, odd constrained ceremony had moved her very strangely: the bitter old man, churlish in his loneliness and guilt, beset by superstitious terrors; the hot, close, dim room; the total lack of any sympathy or affection for the dying man in his last illness; the two cousins, impassively practicing their deceit by means of this elaborate pretense; these things had affected her deeply, and gave her a feeling of inexpressible sadness. But she could hardly expect that the same impression had been made on Mr. Penistone. When they reached the library, therefore, rather than remain with him, alone in another uncomfortable silence, she said,
“ Pray, sir, do not feel that you need be at the trouble of keeping me company. No doubt, now that you have achieved the end for which you came to Chase, you have many things that you will wish to be doing— ”
Without immediately answering her, he turned and tugged at the bellpull. Then he said, with some difficulty, it seemed,
“ Miss Carteret—I cannot express to you how much I disliked the—the necessity of—of going through the performance which has just been concluded. Believe me, if I could have seen any means of avoiding it, I would have done so. But one kind of unreasonable behavior leads to another. My uncle brought it on himself. ”
“ Pray do not concern yourself, sir, ” she answered coolly. “ In order to achieve pos s ession of a fortune, I believe it is occasionally necessary to do things which one may dislike. ”
His eyes flashed. “ You do not understand how matters are in the very least! It was not only my own interests which were at stake—you do not realize how I am circumstanced—I was not the only party who would have been struck out of my uncle ’ s will — other, innocent persons would also have suffered— ”
“ Do not be at the trouble of explaining, sir. I perfectly comprehend the case. There was also the—ah—the other Miss Carteret to be taken into consideration! Little did she realize, when electing to remain in Bath for that tempting Assembly, that she ran the risk of being disinherited—all for the sake of a waltz or two and a few quadrilles. ”
“ She had nothing to do with the matter! ” snapped Mr. Penistone. “ If it were only for her sake—but I cannot explain to you! ”
“ No, and I beg that you will be at no further pains to do so. It is not of the smallest consequence, after all! ”
A young nervous footman came into the room, and said,
“ Axing your pardon, Mr. Gareth, but Mr. Fidd ’ s upstairs with his lordship. ”
“ That ’ s all right, Cowley—bring us a couple of bottles of champagne, will you? ”
Evidently trying for a lighter note, Penistone said, as Cowley left the room,
“ The servants know a marriage has been performed, and they will be expecting some health-drinking! ”
“ But I do not quite understand, ” Delphie said, wrinkling her forehead, “ how it is to be accounted for in the household that you have apparently been married to the wrong lady. ”
“ Oh, there is no trouble about that. Elaine has never been here; nobody but my cousin
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