Imprudence Part 15

"When a man has pa.s.sed his first youth," William observed sententiously, "he is--ahem!--more interesting, more reliable. He knows what he wants.

I confess that Morgan inspires in me both confidence and liking. One can respect a man who has proved his worth."

"He has proved an apt.i.tude for making money," Prudence allowed.

"Isn't that proof of worth?"

"It suggests sound business ac.u.men."

"With industry and perseverance," he insisted.

"Generosity is finer than these qualities." She was thinking of the unfortunate confidence relating to Steele.

"You at least have not found him lacking in that quality," he said, surprised. "He has showered gifts on you."

"He has been very generous to me," she admitted, and laughed with a ring of scorn in the mirth. "There is small merit in being generous when it pleases one to be so."

He stared at her in amazement.

"I think you are strangely wanting in grat.i.tude," he said. "Few people with the very sufficient grounds which you have for recognising a man's generosity would display so grudging an acknowledgment. Morgan was most appreciative in his praise of you. He revealed a very deep--regard for you."

William surveyed his half-sister with the doubtful scrutiny of a man who failed to discover what it was in her which attracted other men: beyond her looks he could discern no particular charm; and her looks were not in his opinion remarkable.

"I have heard more impa.s.sioned avowals," she returned.

"From whom?" he demanded instantly.

"Perhaps I have only imagined them,--or," and she patted the cover of one of Mr Morgan's gifts and laughed, "met with them in books."

"There is a lot of pernicious trash written," observed William. "It puts ideas in girls' heads."

"You wouldn't wish even a girl's head empty of ideas, would you?"

"I would wish it empty of nonsense," he answered sharply. "A woman should be satisfied to look after her home, and--all that."

This being non-committal and liberal of interpretation, Prudence let it pa.s.s unchallenged. She was so familiar with William's ideas about woman and her place in the scheme of things, and appreciated his opinion so little that she was satisfied to leave him to the undisputed enjoyment of his views. It was William's own misfortune that he could never emerge from the rut into which he had floundered. He had long ago persuaded himself into the belief that his rut was the open road.

Feeling that he had said sufficient to add the weight of his approval to the balance in favour of Mr Morgan, William left his sister to digest his words; and subsequently informed his father that he entertained small doubt that if Edward Morgan did Prudence the honour of asking her to be his wife she would accept him. He believed she would appreciate the compliment of such an offer.

Prudence herself was less confident. She was indeed so undecided that the respite allowed her came as a relief. It gave her time for consideration of the matter. She did not love Edward Morgan; but he held open the door of freedom, and she feared that if she missed this opportunity of pa.s.sing through, it might never open for her again.

There followed a period of waiting and uncertainty and general boredom, during which the ankle grew well and she was able to leave the sofa and walk in the garden. It was then that the loss of her cycle became once more a source of acute annoyance.

"You had no right to sell it, daddy," she complained; "it was mine.

You'll have to buy me a new one."

"I hoped you wouldn't care to ride any more, Prue," he returned evasively. "It isn't safe. You may break your neck next time."

"I may, of course. I stand a greater chance of doing so if you won't buy me a machine, because I shall hire; and hired cycles aren't reliable. Of course I shall ride again. Your advice is as preposterous as telling a child who has learnt to walk that it must revert to sedentary habits. It wouldn't, you know, however nice a child it might be."

She drew him towards her by the lapels of his coat and kissed him on either cheek.

"You'll get me a new cycle, daddy?--just like the last?"

Mr Graynor yielded. When Prudence coaxed, looking at him with that light in her blue eyes, she recalled her mother so vividly to his mind that he could not resist her. It were easier to vex Agatha than to disappoint Prue.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

Summer was on the wane and autumn was busy early colouring the leaves.

Edward Morgan had intended returning to Wortheton before the finish of the warm weather; but many things prevented him from carrying out his wish; and the weeks went by without any sign from him, save the regular arrival of the monthly parcel of books, which Prudence as regularly acknowledged, writing a frank girlish letter of thanks, which took longer to compose than the subject matter warranted. The difficulty of writing those letters increased with each repet.i.tion of the performance.

He never wrote to her. He did not even address the parcels; they came direct from the bookseller. Had he sent a few friendly lines with his gifts it would have made the task of acknowledgment easier.

Each time that he received one of these brief inconsequent epistles Mr Morgan opened it eagerly and hastily read it in the always vain hope of finding the wish expressed therein that he would fulfil his promise to revisit Wortheton. But Prudence made no mention of this matter. And he locked the letters away in a private drawer and waited in patient hopefulness for the next. The next letter invariably roused similar emotions and brought further disappointment on perusal. Mr Morgan proved of his own experience that being in love is not a happy condition of mind.

On the whole Prudence enjoyed the possession of an undeclared suitor: it gave her a sense of importance, a sense too of future security. She could regard with indifference the acid rigour of Agatha's authority and brother William's pompous displeasure. William had been extremely annoyed by the arrival of the new bicycle, and had made unpleasant observations about Prudence's roaming habits and her propensity for making casual and undesirable acquaintances. It was very evident that William considered that his sister rode abroad in quest of these adventures. His insinuations exasperated her, but they did not shake her determination to ride when and where she pleased.

It was soon after the arrival of the new cycle, when she was enjoying her first long rides after the accident, that she met again the man whose kindness to her lingered pleasantly in her memory, despite the shock of disillusion which had eclipsed much of the brightness of the recollection. The encounter sprung upon her unaware. She had neither expected nor wished to meet Major Stotford again. But when he overtook her in his car, and stopped the car a few yards ahead of her and waited for her to come up with it, there was no doubt in Prudence's mind as to what she ought to do. She ceased peddling and alighted. Major Stotford, who was alone, opened the door of the car and stepped into the road beside her.

"A piece of good luck!" he said, shaking hands. "I've often wondered about you. There is no need to ask if you have quite recovered. So they let you ride again?"

"They didn't want to; it was a fight," Prudence said, and laughed.

"Yes!" he said, smiling too. "I imagined you would have difficulty.

I'm glad you won. They didn't tell you, I suppose, that I called to inquire a few days after our adventure?"

"No; they didn't tell me," she replied, and flushed slightly. "It was very kind of you. I didn't know."

"I thought possibly it might not get to your knowledge," he said coolly, and surveyed her flushed face with keen appreciation. "I was not allowed to see you, but was privileged to interview your brother instead. I have never approved of subst.i.tutes, and discovered on that occasion no good reason for reconsidering my prejudice. I'm delighted to meet you again anyhow."

His frankness embarra.s.sed Prudence; but she recalled his kindness and the service he had done her, and felt further vexation with her family.

"I'm glad too," she said, playing nervously with the little bell on her handle-bar. He took hold of the handle-bar also and became immensely interested in the machine.

"It's a new one, isn't it?" he said. "Surely the other wasn't past repairing?"

"I don't know. They got rid of it."

"I see." His eyes twinkled. "And you compelled them to make good.

They have done it quite handsomely. Your persuasive powers must be considerably greater than mine."

"I threatened to hire," said Prudence, and immediately realised on hearing him laugh that this admission was disloyal to the family. She lifted her eyes with a flash of pride in them to his smiling face.

"Father is always generous," she said. "He wouldn't trust the old cycle again, though the spill was entirely my fault. I'm cautious in regard to dogs now."

"Yes," he agreed, the smile deepening. "Caution is a quality which the wise cultivate. Possibly had I not considerably neglected it I should have been more successful--socially. But these things are so dull."

He took his hand off the handle-bar and straightened himself and looked down at her with a quick resolve in his face.

"We managed to find room for the old cycle," he said. "I don't see why there need be any difficulty in stowing this away. What do you say?

Will you drive with me?"