Fordham's Feud Part 22

"Ah! I begin to see. Her room is underneath yours, I take it. Well, I always said you had rather a heavy hoof."

"Fordham, do be serious. Don't you see, man? You were there when they arrived yesterday--and er--er--he swears he'll bring an action for breach of promise against me? Now do you see?"

"And he's just the sort of animal who would do it too," rejoined the other coolly, spreading a fresh lather upon his chin.

"Well, that's not all--nor even the worst of it. I'm in a proper sort of hole, I can tell you," said poor Phil, despairingly dropping into a chair and lighting up a Vevey cheroot.

"Wait a minute, Phil," said Fordham, turning with his razor in mid-air.

"There's a time for all things and, it might be added, a place. Now I've a strong suspicion that the part.i.tion walls between these rooms are unconscionably thin, and that being so we had better postpone our council of war until we have got outside of our toast and coffee, and then adjourn with pipes to some sequestered spot where undisturbed we can concert plans for the discomfiture of the enemy. But, look here, you must pull yourself together. You are looking a cross between a scarecrow and a galvanised skull. Man alive, you'll furnish sport to all the women in the house if they see you going about like this."

"What a good chap you are, Fordham," said poor Philip, gratefully. He was looking wretchedly pulled down and haggard, as the other had said, for he had had very little sleep. No one would have recognised the bright, handsome sunny face of yesterday. He looked a dozen years older. Even Alma, burning with outraged pride, must have pitied him.

But the Wyatts were not at table when the two came down, which was perhaps just as well. Old Glover was, but his daughter's place was vacant. He frowned magnificently at Philip, and nodded in a stiff and patronising way to Fordham as they came in.

"Now Phil," began Fordham, as having strolled up the meadow path behind the hotel, they sat down among a cl.u.s.ter of rocks and began to smoke, "Now Phil, we can talk to our heart's content. What a chap you are.

You were a semi-lunatic for the s.p.a.ce of a week about one 'skirt,' and no sooner is that put right than another 'skirt' sails in unexpectedly and upsets the coach again."

"Upsets it, indeed!" muttered poor Phil.

"As I understand the case," went on Fordham, "and it's far from an uncommon one, you neglected to throw away your dirty water before you got your clean. Consequently the former has overlapped the latter and damaged it effectually. Do you follow me?"

Philip nodded.

"Well now, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to advise me."

"H'm! The case stands thus. The appearance upon the scene of Number 1 has sheered Number 2 off in a deadly huff, which, under the circ.u.mstances, it was bound to do. Secondly, the British merchant and his offspring threaten to make themselves particularly disagreeable.

Those are the two points upon which we must go to work."

"Yes."

"Very well. Now to begin with the first point. Have you squarely explained the whole affair to Miss Wyatt?"

"Don't I wish she'd give me the chance!" was the vehement reply.

"You must make the chance--by hook or by crook. That's all I've got to say. It is a matter between her and you exclusively, and one in which you must fight entirely to your own hand. Now as to the other, the-- er--Glover side of the difficulty. Quite sure you wouldn't have the girl at any price?"

"Dead certain."

"That's so, eh?"

"Yes, it is."

"Well, I think you're right. I wouldn't myself--if I were you, I mean.

How did you manage to get in tow with her?"

"Oh, it was just after that last cruise of ours, about six months ago,"

said Philip, in the disgusted tone of a man who realises that he has made a fool of himself and is called upon to face the consequences of his folly. "I ran down to old Glover's place with some other fellows to a dance, and--well--Edith and I got rather thick. Drifted into it, I suppose?"

"Used to go up the river a good bit, eh? Picnic and spoon on the eyots--and all that sort of thing?"

"Yes."

"That river's the very devil for getting fellows into messes of this kind. The rushes and the whispering-trees and the soft murmur of the water, don't you know--_and_ the champagne in the hamper--all this I suppose combines to work it. Now, did you ever propose to her in definite terms?"

"N-no. Once it struck me she thought I had. It was one evening at a dance. We were sitting out in a corner of the lawn--and the river and the moonlight on the water--"

"_And_ the champagne," murmured Fordham. "No; it was sparkling Burgundy. But don't chaff, old man. Well, I hadn't really said anything definite. But, you know, a fellow _is_ apt to make rather a fool of himself on such occasions, isn't he?"

"Oh, very. Now how long was this--this evening when you hadn't really said anything definite--before we came abroad together?"

"About a month or six weeks."

"And of course you have corresponded ever since?"

"Up till the time I--er--you know--"

"Yes, yes, I quite understand. Well now, have you said--written, rather--anything definite in the course of that correspondence?"

"N-no. I don't think I can have."

"Would you mind allowing me to judge?"

"I didn't keep copies of the letters--Oh, I see. Hers you mean! Hang it, old man, I--er--don't think that would be quite fair to her."

"Just as you please," was the perfectly unruffled rejoinder. "By the way, you didn't perform the pleasing ceremony commonly known as 'speaking to papa,' did you?"

"Not I," said Philip, with alacrity.

"Yet he came here prepared to give you his blessing--and gave it, too, in the most all-embracing fas.h.i.+on?"

"_That's_ it! That's just it!" cried Philip, savagely. "It's a put-up job! Yet what on earth could they want to hook me for? The dear old governor has got years and years to go on yet; and even then he won't cut up for much, for he's as poor as Job. Still it looks like a clear case of 'standing in.'"

"I think it does. As for the motive, the British merchant may have had a fancy to be able to talk about 'My daughter, Lady Orlebar--ah!' and added to that you're a personable dog enough, Phil. He ought to be able to supply the funds to counterbalance the t.i.tle."

"There the motive breaks down," quickly interrupted the other.

"Although he cuts great splashes with his entertainments, and is rolling in money, he has the reputation of being the most close-fisted screw extant."

"Is that so? Ah! now I begin to see a little light. You don't think he'd come down with a fat settlement?"

"Not the ghost of a chance of it."

"Good. I think we may defeat him on that count. But let us again be certain on this head. You are sure you wouldn't take the girl at any price--not if he offers to settle fifty thousand?"

"Not if he offered to settle five hundred thousand. But don't have any misgivings on that score. He won't come down with five, you'll see."