December Love Part 108

"Is it something about that man?"

"Yes. I'm afraid of him."

"Why?"

"I'm sure he doesn't mean to--I'm sure he won't give me up easily. I know he won't!"

"Sit down, Beryl."

"Yes--may I?"

"Have you seen him?"

"Oh, no--no!"

"Has he written?"

"Yes. And he has called to-day. Last night directly I got back to the hotel I gave orders at the bureau that if he called they were to say 'not at home.'"

"Well then--"

"But he got in!"

"How could he?"

"When they said I was out he asked for f.a.n.n.y--f.a.n.n.y Cronin, my companion. He sent up his card to her, and as I hadn't spoken to her--you know I promised not to say anything--she told them to let him come up. She likes him!"

"And were you in the hotel?"

"No, thank G.o.d I was really out. But I came back while he was still there."

"Then--"

"No, I didn't see him, as I told you. When I was just going up in the lift, something--it was almost like second sight, I think--prompted me to go to the bureau and ask if anyone was in our rooms. And they told me _he_ was with f.a.n.n.y, had been with her for over an hour."

"What did you do?"

"I went out at once. I called on one or two people, I stayed out till nearly half-past seven. I walked about in the dark. I was afraid to go near the hotel. It was horrible. Finally I thought he must have gone and I ventured to go back. I hurried through the hall. The lift was there.

I went into it at once. I didn't look round. I was afraid he might have come down and be waiting about for me. When I got to our apartment I went straight to my bedroom and rang for my maid. She said he was gone.

Then I went to f.a.n.n.y. He had been having tea with her and had stayed two hours. He had--she's very foolish, poor old thing!--he had completely fascinated her."

Suddenly she blushed violently.

"I have no right to say that about f.a.n.n.y. But I mean he had laid himself out to--"

"I quite understand," said Lady Sellingworth, with a sort of awkward dryness which she could not evade though she hated herself for it.

It was hideous, she felt, being mixed up with this old Miss Cronin and Beryl Van Tuyn in a sort of horrible sisterhood of victims of this vile man's fascination. Her flesh crept at the indignity of it, and all her patrician pride revolted at being remembered among his probably innumerable conquests. At that moment she felt punished for having so often in her life betrayed the best part of her nature.

"I quite understand, Beryl. You need not explain."

"No."

There was an unpleasant silence during which neither woman looked at the other. Then Lady Sellingworth said:

"But you haven't told me everything. And if I am to--if anything is to be done, can be done, I suppose you had better tell me everything."

"Yes. I want to. I must. Mr.--he told f.a.n.n.y that I was--that I had promised to marry him."

"Ah!"

"He told her that I had been to his flat on the very day that I had heard of my father's death and since. He promised f.a.n.n.y that--that when we were married she should have a home with us. Isn't that horrible?

f.a.n.n.y has been afraid of my marrying because, you see, she depends in a way on me. She doesn't want to leave me. She's got accustomed--"

"Yes--yes."

"He told her that people knew about my visits to him. Mrs. Birchington lives in the flat opposite his, and she knows. He contrived that she should know. I realize that now."

"A man like that lays his plans carefully."

"Yes. Oh--how humiliating it all is! f.a.n.n.y was enthusiastic about him."

"What did you say?"

"I was very careful. Because I promised you! But I know she thinks--she must think I am in love with him. But that doesn't matter. Only it makes things difficult. But it isn't that which brought me here. I'm afraid of him."

"Have you ever written to him?"

"No--never!"

"But you say he has written to you."

"Yes. When he left f.a.n.n.y he wrote a letter in the hotel and had it sent up to my room. f.a.n.n.y gave it me just now. I've got it here."

She drew a letter out of a little bag she had brought with her.

"I--I can't show it--"

"Oh--please--I don't want to see it!" said Lady Sellingworth, with an irrepressible shrinking of disgust.

"No, of course not. Adela, please don't think I imagined you did! But I must tell you--I know you hate all this. You must hate it. Oh, do forgive me for coming here! I know I oughtn't to. But I'm afraid--I'm afraid of him!"

"Why are you so afraid? What can he do?"

"A man like that might do anything!"

"Are you sure? I think such a man is probably a coward at heart."

But Miss Van Tuyn shook her head.