Charity Girl Read online

  'It was indeed,' he agreed, disposing himself in a cushioned chair, and yawning. 'I have never known, my love, why my old friend – as good a man as ever stepped when we were up at Oxford together! – should have chosen to marry – I won't say a smatterer, but a mere miss, which was what we all thought her!'

  'Well,' said Lady Emborough tolerantly, 'I do not say that she is a woman of the first consideration, but it must be ack nowledged that she has been a good wife to Sir Thomas, and is an excellent mother. And even you, Emborough, must also acknowledge that Sir Thomas's sense is not superior!'

  'No,' he agreed, with a melancholy sigh. He then fell silent, but said, after a few moments, somewhat acidly: 'I am excessively glad, my dear, that I have never been mortified by the spectacle of my wife throwing a daughter at the head of an eligible parti in what I can only describe as a positively shocking way!'

  'Certainly not!' responded his lady, with unruffled calm. 'I hope I have too much rumgumption to do anything so bird-witted. But it must be remembered, my lord, that I have not been cursed with an improvident husband, and five daughters! I promise you, I do most sincerely feel for Lady Bugle, little though I may like her, and perfectly sympathize with her anxiety to achieve a good match for Lucasta as soon as may be possible.'

  He directed a worried look at her. 'Did it seem to you that Desford was strongly attracted to that girl, my love?'

  'Not in the least,' she replied unhesitatingly.

  'Well, I hope you may be right,' he said. 'It seemed to me that he treated her with very flattering distinction! And it wouldn't do, you know!'

  'Of course it wouldn't do, and he knows that as well as we do! Lord, my dear sir, can you suppose that a personable man of birth and fortune who has been on the town for years, and has had I don't know how many girls on the catch for him, don't recognize a lure in no more than the shake of a lambstail? If the mother's odious toadying didn't disgust him, you may depend upon it the coming manners Lucasta assumed did!'

  'One would have thought so, but he appeared to me to be quite blatantly flirting with her!'

  'To be sure he was!' said her ladyship. 'But in my judgment he was very much more interested in Lucasta's little cousin!'

  'Good God!' ejaculated Emborough. 'Do you mean that scamp's child? – Wilfred Steane's daughter?'

  His wife burst out laughing, for the look of dismay on his face was comical. 'Yes, but there's no need for you to be on the fidgets, I promise you! Recollect that Desford leaves us to-morrow! It is in the highest degree unlikely that he will ever see the girl again; and for my part I wouldn't wager a groat on the chance that he won't have forgotten all about her by the time he reaches London!'

  If this was a somewhat exaggerated statement, it is probable that had not Chance intervened Miss Cherry Steane would not have lived for long in the Viscount's memory. But Chance did intervene, and on the very next day.

  Since Hazelfield was situated within a few miles of Alton, and he was bound for London, he did not take leave of his hosts until he had consumed a leisurely breakfast. The threatened storm had burst (according to Emma's account) directly over the house in the small hours, but after a violent downpour the weather had cleared, and the Viscount set out on his journey with every expectation of covering the distance in bright sunlight, and of reaching his destination in excellent time to change his dress, and to stroll from his house in Arlington Street to White's Club, where he meant to dine.

  At Alton, he joined the post-road to Southampton, and was soon driving through Farnham. It was when he was a few miles beyond this town that Fate took a hand in his affairs.

  A female figure, wearing a round bonnet and a gray cloak, plodding ahead, with a slightly dilapidated portmanteau in her grasp, did not attract his attention, but just as his horses drew abreast of her she turned her head, looking up at him, and disclosed the child-like countenance of Miss Cherry Steane. Con sider ably startled, he uttered an exclamation, and reined in his horses.

  'Why, what's amiss, my lord?' demanded Stebbing, even more startled.

  The Viscount, slewing round to obtain a second view of Miss Steane, found that the fleeting glance he had cast down at her as his curricle swept past had not deceived him: Miss Steane it most certainly was. He thrust the reins into Stebbing's hands, saying briefly: 'Hold 'em! I know that lady!' He then jumped lightly down on to the road, and strode back to meet Miss Steane.

  She greeted him with frank delight, and said, in a voice of passionate thanksgiving: 'I thought it was you, sir! Oh, I am so glad! If you are going to London, would you – would you be so very kind as to take me up in your carriage?'

  He took the portmanteau from her, and set it down. 'What, to London? Why?'

  'I've run away,' she explained, with a confiding smile.

  'That, my child, is obvious!' he said. 'But it won't do, you know! How could I possibly aid and abet you to leave the protection of your aunt?'

  Her face fell ludicrously; it seemed for a moment that she was going to burst into tears, but she overcame the impulse, swal lowing resolutely, and saying in a prim, forlorn little voice: 'C-couldn't you, sir? I beg your pardon! I thought – I thought – But it's of no consequence!'

  'Will you tell me why you have run away?' he suggested gently.

  'I couldn't bear it! You don't know !' she said, in a stifled tone.

  'No, but I wish you will tell me. I think something must have happened since we talked together last night. Did someone hear you, and tell your aunt?' She nodded, biting her lips. 'And she perhaps gave you a scold?'

  'Oh, yes! But that's not it! I don't care for mere scolds, but she said such things – and Lucasta too – and all in front of Corinna – and Corinna told the others – ' Her voice failed on a sob, and she was quite unable to continue.

  He waited until she had in some degree recovered her com posure. He thought he had seldom seen a more pathetic picture. Not only was her countenance woebegone, but her shoes and the hem of the duffle cloak which she wore were sadly muddied; several strands of her unruly hair had escaped from the confinement of the round, schoolgirl's bonnet, and strayed across her flushed features; and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. She looked to be hot, tired, and despairing. For the first of these three ills the duffle cloak was certainly responsible; for the second it was no wonder that she should be tired if she had trudged all the way from her home, carrying a cumbrous portmanteau; but the despair was not to be accounted for so easily: nothing she had said to him on the previous evening had prepared him to find her flying from the security of the only home she seemed to have.

  She succeeded in mastering her agitation, and even managed to summon up a gallant, if unconvincing, smile. 'I beg your pardon!' she uttered. 'It was only because you look so kind, sir, and – and talked to me last night – But it was wrong of me to ask you to take me up in your carriage. Pray don't regard it! My – my affairs are not your concern, and I shall do very well by myself !'

  He ignored the hand she was resolutely holding out to him, but picked up her portmanteau, and said: 'We cannot stand talking in the road! I don't promise to take you to London, but at least I'll take you to Farnborough! As I remember, there is a tolerable inn there, where I can procure some refreshment for you, and where we can continue this conversation at our ease. Come along!'

  She hung back, searching his face with her wide, scared eyes. 'You won't compel me to return to Maplewood, will you?'

  'No, I won't do that. What right have I to compel you to do anything? Though it is undoubtedly what I ought to do!'

  She seemed to be satisfied with this reply, for she said no more, but went obediently beside him to where his curricle stood. The expression on Stebbing's face when he realized that his master was going to hand into the curricle a Young Person whose unattended state and dowdy raiment clearly denoted that she was not a female of consequence spoke volumes; but he relinquished the reins to the Viscount, without a word, and climbed up into the groom's seat between the springs.