Tales from Many Sources Part 39

"Really, Nina, I ought to have ordered a better dinner for you."

"Oh, I'm not a bit hungry."

"But you ought to be after going about so much as we have to-day.

By-the-by, how did you decide about that hat I saw; do you think it will suit you? Describe it to me."

Forced to answer, Nina was trotted by her friend from one subject of toilette to the other, until in the midst of a got-up argument concerning tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs, there came a thundering knock at the door.

"Dear bless me! What a late visitor! Who can it be? Martin, just go out and look--never mind the door," and Mrs. Chetwode jumped up and stood so that she could hear the inquiry: "Is Mrs. Dacres here?"

"Yes, sir, the ladies are at dinner."

"Oh! Ah!"

"Captain Dacres, is that you?" Bella had run out to meet him. "Why, what a surprise--Nina, fancy, here's your husband, dear," and she preceded Rowley back into the dining-room.

"Rowley!" For her life Nina couldn't say more--every atom of colour had forsaken her.

"My dear child, have I frightened you? I'm so sorry, but I found after all I had to come to town. Carne has made such an awful mess about the gun he was to get for me, and so I didn't write. I thought I'd surprise you."

Nina laughed out like a boisterous child. "What a silly thing I am," she said, "I was afraid something had happened."

Rowley put his arm round her, for though she was laughing, her voice sounded like crying all the time.

Under other circ.u.mstances he might have been more struck with the little embarra.s.sment which she could not perfectly control, but at the moment he was not quite himself either. That impudent Doady Donne had played a shameful hoax on him, had actually had the audacity to declare that she had seen his wife--Nina, Mrs. Dacres--in Teddy Vere's hansom! He hadn't taken what she said very pleasantly, for the bare notion made him furious, and--though telling himself all the while that he didn't believe it--until he had found Nina seated with her friend, it was impossible to feel any security.

"'Pon my life, it's too bad!" he was saying mentally. "I don't know what things are coming to; there ought to be a stop put to it, a line must be drawn somewhere; and such women oughtn't to be permitted to speak of a lady in that chaify way."

While these reflections occupied his mind he was giving sc.r.a.ps of news to Nina, and answering Mrs. Chetwode, who was frankly saying that she hadn't a morsel of dinner to give him.

"But I don't want any, I've only just had a most enormous luncheon."

"Luncheon! Where?"

"Why, my dear, at the station--ham, beef, beer--you know--veal pie--that sort o' thing."

"Rowley! how could you! You'll be awfully ill, you know."

"Not a bit of it, not I. I--" but at this moment rat-tat-a-tat-tat went the knocker.

Oh! agony--there wasn't a doubt this was Teddy!

"I say, what a game--here's another visitor!" remarked Captain Dacres cheerily.

"One who is expected, I shouldn't wonder." Mrs. Chetwode, as usual, rose equal to the emergency. "We may as well let the cat out of the bag, Nina, and tell him.--We've got a young man coming to take us to the play," and turning to Martin she said, "Show him into the boudoir if that's Mr. Vere."

"Mr. Vere! What, Teddy! Here, stop, I'll open the door!" exclaimed Rowley hastily "Don't you go"

"But why?" interposed Mrs. Chetwode amazedly.

"Because it's interrupting you so awfully in your dinner. No, no, we'll go up stairs together--it'll be all right you'll see"

He was already in the hall, had opened the door--their voices, laughing it seemed--sounded together.

"What can it mean?" said Nina anxiously

"Never mind, one thing is certain--he didn't see you"

"Perhaps it's the beer--he seems a little excited, don't you think?"

"I'm not going to leave them together Teddy," called out Mrs. Chetwode, "come in here. Have you brought tickets for the comedy?"

"Tickets, eh?"

"Oh, it's no use disguising; we've--"

"No, no!" broke in Rowley, "not a bit, I know all about it, old fellow; they've told me what you've come to do--I'll go with you. By Jove, capital idea! Ha, ha."

"Oh, it must be the beer," thought Nina, and watching Bella's eye she tapped her forehead with her finger to indicate that there was no doubt that Rowley's head was slightly affected.

"Mrs. Chetwode, I'm awfully sorry," began Teddy, "but do you know, I've made such a mess about the comedy; they aint playing that piece at all there now. I hope you'll both forgive me."

"How tiresome! What a naughty boy you are!" said Bella. "Now there's nothing for us to do."

"Nothing to do," said Rowley. "Not a bit of it; we ain't going to be stumped for one failure; we'll go somewhere--where shall it be, Nina, eh?"

"Any place you like, dear," so long as I am with you, the big brown eyes seemed to say; and Rowley, looking back again, thought, "And I could doubt her--bless her heart, the darling!" while Nina kept repeating, "This will be a lesson for me as long as I live. Never again, no more flirtation--never, never, never!"

Later in the evening when it was decided that they should all go to the Fisheries, without hesitation as to the other two, Nina and Rowley went off together.

"Are we to follow the turtle doves?" said Teddy with sarcasm.

"As you please," said Bella, "but it doesn't in the least matter--you know I've a scolding in store for you, Teddy?"

"No, not now," and he held up his hands pleadingly.

"Yes, but you've been most imprudent, and it's by the very greatest luck in the world that Rowley didn't see you. If he had, it would have been anything but pleasant for Nina."

"Hm!" and Teddy gave his nose a screw. He was terribly tempted to tell what he looked on as the very best joke in the world--only--well--no--perhaps better not--if you once let a thing slip out it often gets spoken of, n.o.body knows how; and as Rowley had whispered at the door, "Teddy, I say, not a word about having seen me before," and he had answered "Honour bright, old chap; you may trust me," he'd keep the matter dark; only there was one to score against Miss Doady Donne for telling him last night at dinner that she was going to play propriety to a friend that day. He hated a lie without a reason; and as it seemed to him he'd gone quite far enough in that direction, this would serve as a capital peg to hang a quarrel on.

"Shall we say good-night?" said Bella.

"Do you want to get rid of me?"

"N--no."

"Oh, I see you do," and he held out his hand to her.

"Good-night," she began, trying to hold herself very severely, "and let this little adventure be a lesson to you. All's well that ends well, but remember _all_ doesn't always end so."