The Vision of Desire Part 58

"Well?" queried Brett. He had been watching Ann's face closely while she fought her battle. "Well, will you come?"

She drew a long, shuddering breath.

"Yes. I'll come," she said.

Her voice sounded curiously weak and strange to her own ears--like that of some one else speaking. She wondered if she had really spoken audibly, and, in a sudden terror lest he shouldn't have heard her, she repeated the words with jerky emphasis.

"Yes. I'll come."

He made an abrupt movement towards her, but she shrank back out of his reach.

"You'll give me the notes if I come?" she asked rather Wildly. "You'll play fair, Brett?"

"Yes. I'll play fair."

"Then--then--will you go now, please?" She felt as though her strength were deserting her--as though she could bear no more.

He paused, regarding her irresolutely. Then he turned to the door.

"Very well, I'll go now. The dinghy will be waiting for you at the jetty to-morrow night at nine o'clock."

The door closed behind him and, left alone, Ann sank down on to the nearest chair, utterly overwhelmed by what had befallen her. An hour ago there had been not a cloud in her sky--the whole of life seemed stretching out before her filled with the promise of love and happiness. And now, with unbelievable suddenness, black and bitter storm-clouds had arisen and covered the entire heavens, till not even a flickering ray of light was visible. She remembered her strange, unconquerable fear of the yacht ...

like a sleek cat watching at a mousehole.... Well, the cat had sprung now--leaped suddenly, striking into her very heart with its pitiless claws.

No tears came to her relief. She felt stunned--stunned, and remained limply in her chair, staring with dazed, unseeing eyes into s.p.a.ce....

She was still sitting in the same position, gazing blankly in front of her, when Maria threw open the door to admit Mrs. Hilyard.

"I just looked in--" Cara, beginning to speak almost as she entered, broke off abruptly as she caught sight of Ann's stricken face. She hurried to her side. The girl's mute immobility frightened her.

"Ann!" she cried quickly. "What's happened? What is the matter with you?"

Slowly Ann turned her head towards her, regarding her with lack-l.u.s.tre eyes.

"Nothing," she said. "Or everything. I'm not quite sure which."

She began to laugh a trifle hysterically, and Cara laid her hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Don't do that," she said sharply, giving her a little shake. "Pull yourself together, Ann, and tell me what's gone wrong."

With an effort Ann caught back the sobbing laugh that struggled in her throat for utterance. Getting up, she crossed the room to the window and stood there silently for a few moments, with her back towards Cara. When she turned round again it was obvious she had regained her self-control.

"I'm all right, now," she declared, smiling more naturally.

"Then tell me what's wrong, and let's put our heads together to get it right," replied Cara practically.

"Oh, yes, I'll tell you. But there's nothing in the world will put things right, all the same."

Very briefly she recapitulated the facts of the case, while Cara listened with an expression of increasing gravity.

"You can't go," she said with decision, when Ann ceased speaking. "Whatever else you do, you mustn't spend the evening on board his yacht alone with Brett."

"And if I'm to save Tony, it's the only thing to be done," replied Ann quietly.

"Then you must leave Tony to get out of his difficulties by himself. Sir Philip would pay, I expect, if the matter were put up to him."

Ann shook her head.

"I'm quite sure he wouldn't," she said, "There's no question of that.

He's reached the limit of his patience. He'd simply turn Tony out of the house--turn him adrift. And that means shipwreck. Tony might--might even do--what he tried to do the other night. Kill himself. He's desperate.

Don't you see, everything's doubly bad for him now--when he's in love with Doreen. Unless he's pulled out of this hole somehow, it means smashing up his whole life."

"And if you pull him out of it the way you propose doing, it means smashing up yours," returned Cara succinctly. "You know what Eliot's like--how jealous and suspicious. And you know Brett's reputation!"

"I can manage Brett," insisted Ann.

Cara made a swift gesture.

"It isn't that! It's Eliot, and you know it. If he ever came to hear that you'd been to supper on the _Sphinx_ with Brett, he'd never trust you again."

"He might. I'm hoping--"

"He wouldn't"--with conviction. "It would wreck everything. Ann, don't be such a fool--such a _fool_!" Cara spoke with desperate intensity. "For G.o.d's sake, give up this crazy plan!"

"I can't. I must go. I've promised."

Her brows drawn together, Cara reflected a few minutes in silence. She looked as though she were trying to work out a problem of some kind--balancing the pros and cons. At last:

"There's only one way out of it," she said slowly. "Let me go instead of you. I think--I think I could make Brett see reason, and persuade him to give those notes of hand to me instead of to you. At any rate, let me try."

"No good," said Ann, shaking her head. "He wouldn't give them to you. He wants his pound of flesh"--bitterly.

"Why don't you ask Eliot to give you the money?" demanded Cara suddenly.

A deep flush stained Ann's cheeks.

"I've not fallen so low that I'll ask the man I'm engaged to for money with which to pay another man's debts."

"You'd ask him if you were married"--defiantly.

"In certain circ.u.mstances--yes. But that's different. Oh, you must see it's different! Besides, Tony would accept money from _me_, even though my husband had given it to me. But he'd be too proud to take it from Eliot--or from any one else."

"Too proud! It seems to me Tony's precious little to be proud about!"

"The more reason why he should keep any pride he has remaining. Don't be hard on him, Cara. Remember he's young, and that the instinct to gamble is in his very blood. This has been a lesson to him--a frightful lesson. I _know_--if he once gets clear of this--he'll run straight for the future."