Only One Love, or Who Was the Heir Part 71

Gideon Rolfe watched the pale face grimly.

"I must know more," he said. "How will you put an end to this?"

Stephen smiled. It was not a pleasant smile.

"You want to see the _modus operandi_? How the conjurer is going to perform the wonderful feat? Well, it is very simple. My friend and somewhat cousin, for all his romance, will not care to marry a girl whose name is stained with shame. If I know my dear Jack, he will not care to make an illegitimate child of Gideon Rolfe, the woodman, Mrs.

Newcombe."

Gideon Rolfe started.

"You will tell him?" he said, hoa.r.s.ely.

"Yes," said Stephen; "I shall tell him the truth, of course concealing the proper names, and you must be here to confirm my statement. That is all you have to do. Mind! not a word of my uncle's connection with the matter, or all is lost. You understand?"

"Yes, I understand," said Gideon, hoa.r.s.ely. "I care not by what means so that the marriage is prevented."

"Nor I," said Stephen, coolly; "and now we are agreed on that point.

When I want you I will write to you. Until then--will you take any refreshment?"

Gideon Rolfe waved his hand by way of negative, and Stephen rang the bell. "Show this gentleman out, Slummers. Mind the lower stairs, the gas has been put out. Good-night, good-night."

CHAPTER x.x.xI.

It was settled that Mrs. Davenant, Una and Stephen should go to the Hurst in a week's time. Jack had definitely declined to go to the Hurst.

He felt that he would rather bear the absence of Una for a week or two than go to the old house, haunted as it was, for him, with so many memories; but lo and behold, a few days after the dinner party, had come a note from Lady Bell's father, asking him to visit Earl's Court.

Of course, Jack accepted gladly enough, without a thought of Lady Bell, and only remembering that a good nag would take him from Earl's Court to Hurst in an hour and a half, or less.

The week pa.s.sed rapidly, and with something like restlessness Lady Bell organized all kinds of outings and expeditions, in all of which Jack's services were found to be indispensable.

He could not exactly tell how it happened; but he seemed to spend almost as much time with Lady Bell as with Una. Now it was to go and try a horse which Lady Bell wanted to buy; then to select some dogs to take down to Earl's Court; and, again, to buy and send down pony-carriages and dog-carts.

There was always something to take him to Park Lane, and though Jack felt inclined to kick at these demands upon his time, which would otherwise have been spent near Una, he could not see his way to refuse.

Then he was fond of buying horses, and dogs, and carriages, and used to hold a _levee_ at Spider Court of disreputable-looking men in fustian corduroys, much to Leonard Dagle's disgust.

"It seems to me, Jack," he said, "that you have become Lady Bell's grand vizier. Do you choose her dress for her?"

"Chaff away, old man," said Jack. "It was only the other day that you were badgering me with being cool to her."

"Yes, with a purpose," said Leonard; "but that purpose has disappeared.

Have you been to the Square yet this morning?"

"No; I'm going now. No, I can't, confound it! I promised to see to the harness for the pair of ponies Lady Bell bought."

Leonard smiled rather grimly.

"How Miss Una must love Lady Bell," he said, ironically.

"So she does," said Jack, sharply. "Now don't pretend to be cynical, Len. You know as well as I do that I would spend every hour of my life by Una's side if I could; but what can I do?"

"All right!" said Len, and he fell to work again.

Strangely enough now, that Jack was so much occupied with Lady Bell's affairs, Stephen happened to find more leisure to visit his mother, and very often he accompanied her and Una to some concert or picture-gallery to which Jack was prevented from going. Stephen seemed, in addition, quite changed, and had become quite the man of pleasure in contrast to his former habits.

He rarely appeared at the Square without a nosegay or a new novel; he took the greatest interest in any subject which interested Una, and was as attentive to her as if he had been the most devoted of lovers. Now that Jack was so much absent, it was he who sat opposite her in the little brougham, who leaned over her chair at the theater, or rode beside her in the Row.

At first Una felt rather constrained by his constant attendance; she had been so used to have Jack at her side that she felt embarra.s.sed with Stephen; but Stephen, whose tact was second only to his cunning, soon put her at her ease. She found that it was not necessary to talk to him, that she might sit by his side or ride with him for an hour without uttering a word, and was quite free to think of Jack while Stephen chatted on in his smooth, insinuating voice.

And so the very effect Stephen desired to produce came about; she got accustomed to have him near her, and got to feel at her ease in his presence. But how long the mornings seemed! and how she longed for Jack and wondered what he was doing! If anyone had openly told her she was jealous of Lady Bell, she would have repudiated the idea with scorn too deep for anything but a smile; and yet--and yet--that bright, happy look which Lady Bell had so much admired, grew fainter and fainter, and nearly disappeared, reviving only when Jack hurried in to spend a few hours with her, and then hurried off to keep some engagement with Lady Bell or on Lady Bell's affairs.

But never by word or look did Una show that his absence pained her; instead, she was always the first to remind him of his engagements and to bid him depart.

At last the day arrived for her departure to Hurst. Lady Bell did not go down to Earl's Court till three days later, and Jack, of course, had to remain in town for a day or two after that.

"It is the first time we have been parted for twenty-four hours since that happy day I learned you loved me, my darling!" he whispered as he held Una in his arms: "I almost wish that I had accepted Stephen's invitation. But--but I could not sleep under the old roof--by Heaven, I could not! You cannot understand----"

"But I do," murmured Una; "and I am glad you are not coming. If----"

And she paused.

"Well, darling?" asked Jack, kissing her.

"If you had said half a word, I would not have gone."

"Why not?" said Jack, with a sigh. "Yes, I am glad you are going. You will see the old house in which I was so happy as a boy--which I once thought would have been mine."

"Dear Jack!" she murmured; and her hand smoothed the hair from his forehead caressingly and comfortingly.

"Well, never mind," said Jack; "it is better as it is. Perhaps I should have had the Hurst, and have lost you; and I would rather lose the whole earth than you, my darling! Besides, Stephen has turned out a better fellow than I thought him, and deserves all he has got, and will make a better use of it than I should. No, I am content--I have got the greatest treasure on earth!"

And he pressed her closer to him, and kissed her again and again until, from very shame, she slid from his grasp.

Stephen had engaged a first-cla.s.s carriage, had even taken the precaution to order foot-warmers, though the weather was not yet winterish, and if he had been the personal attendant on a sovereign, and that sovereign had been Una, he could not have been more anxious for her comfort. He was so thoughtful and considerate that there was nothing left for Jack to do but go down to the station and see them off.

"Four days only, my darling," he whispered, as the train was starting; "they will seem years to me."

And he clung to her hand to the last moment, much to the disgust of the guard and porters, who expected to see him dragged under the train. Then he went back to Spider Court, feeling cold, chilly and miserable, as if the sun had been put out.

"Len, I wish I had gone!" he exclaimed, as he opened the door.

But there was no Len to hear him--the room was empty.

"Great Heaven! has everyone disappeared?" he exclaimed, irritably, and flung himself out of the house and into a hansom.