A Crooked Path Part 62

You have, 'pon my soul! I am A-1 with old De Burgh, and I won a pot of money up in Yorks.h.i.+re, paid a lot of debts, sold my horses. Now, don't you think you ought to be interested in your man Friday? You remember our last meeting at Sandbourne--hey? Don't you think I am going to succeed all along the line?"

"It is impossible to say," returned Katherine. "You know there is a French proverb--" She stopped, not liking to repeat it as she suddenly remembered the application.

"Yes, I do know the lying Gallic invention! _Heureux au jeu, malheureux en amour_. I don't believe it. If luck's with you, all goes well; but then Fortune is such a fickle jade!"

"I trust you will always be fortunate, Mr. De Burgh," said Katherine, gently.

"I like to hear you say so. Now I don't often let my tongue run on as it has, but if you'll be patient and friendly, I'll be as mild and inoffensive as a youngster fresh from school."

"Very well," said Katherine, smiling and confused. Here she was interrupted by the sudden approach of Mrs. Needham, her dark eyes gleaming with pleased recognition, and her high color heightened by the heat of the rooms. She was gorgeous in red satin, black lace and diamonds. "My dear Miss Liddell! I have been looking for you everywhere!

I want so much to speak to you about a project I have for starting a new weekly paper, to be called _The Woman's Weekly_. There is an empty sofa in that little room at the other side of the hall. Do come, and I will explain it all. It is likely to do a great deal of good, and to be a paying concern into the bargain. You will excuse me for running away with Miss Liddell"--to De Burgh--"but we have some matters to discuss.

We shall meet you upstairs afterwards." She swept Katherine away, while De Burgh stood scowling. Who was this audacious pirate who had cut out his convoy from under the fire of his angry eyes?

"You see, my dear," commenced Mrs. Needham, in a low voice and speaking rapidly, "there is an immense field to be cultivated in the humble strata of the better working-cla.s.s, and the paper I wish to establish will be quite different from _The Queen_, more useful and less than half-price. No stuff about fas.h.i.+onable marriages in print that is enough to blind an eagle, but useful receipts and work patterns, domestic information, and a story--a story is a great point--a description of any great events, and fas.h.i.+on plates, etc." And she poured forth a torrent of what she was pleased to term "facts and figures" till Katherine felt fairly bewildered.

"It seems a great undertaking," she replied, when she could get a word in. "I shall require a great deal of explanation before I can comprehend it. Will you not come and see me when we shall be alone, and we can discuss it quietly?"

"Certainly, my dear Miss Liddell--to-morrow. No; to-morrow I have about seven or eight engagements between two and six-thirty. Let me see. I am terribly pressed just now; I will write and fix some morning if you will come and lunch with me. If you could see your way to taking a few shares it would be a great help. Money--money--money. Without the filthy lucre nothing can be begun or ended. Now tell me how you have been. I have been coming to see you for _months_, but never get a moment to myself; but I have heard of you from Mr. Payne. What a good fellow he is! How is Miss Payne?" Katherine replied, and Mrs. Needham rushed on: "Nice party, isn't it? There are several literary people here to-night. I did not know Lady Barrington went in for literary society, but one picks up a little of all sorts when you live abroad for a while. Here is a very interesting man. He is coming very much to the front as a political and philosophic writer. It is said he is to be the editor of _The Empire_, that new monthly which they say is to take the lead of all the magazines. I met him at Professor Kean's last week. I don't think he sees me--Good-evening! Don't think you remember me--Mrs. Needham. Had the pleasure of meeting you at Professor Kean's last Monday. Mr.

Errington, Miss Liddell!"

"I have already the pleasure of knowing Miss Liddell," he returned, with a grave smile and stately bow, as he took the hand Katherine hesitatingly held out.

"Oh, indeed; I was not aware of it." Errington stood talking with Mrs.

Needham, or, rather, answering her rapid questions respecting a variety of subjects, until she suddenly recognized some one to whom she was imperatively compelled to speak. With a hasty, "Will you be so good as to take Miss Liddell to her friends?" she darted away with surprising lightness and rapidity, considering her size and solidity.

"Would you like to go upstairs?" asked Errington.

"If you please." Katherine was quivering with pain and pleasure at finding herself thus virtually alone with the man whose image haunted her in spite of her constant determined efforts to banish it from her mind.

On the first landing was a conservatory prettily lit and decorated, and larger than those ordinarily appended to London houses. "Suppose we rest here," said Errington. "From the quiet which reigns above, I think some one is reciting and that is not an exhilarating style of amus.e.m.e.nt."

"I should think not. I have never heard any one attempt to recite in England."

"May you long be preserved from the infliction! There are very few who can make recitation endurable."

After some enquiries for Colonel and Mrs. Ormonde, and a few observations on the beautiful, abundant flowers, Errington said: "Won't you sit down? If it is not unpleasant to you, I should like to improve this occasion, as I rarely have an opportunity of seeing you."

Katherine complied, and sat down on a settee which was behind a central group of tall feathery ferns. She was another creature from the bright and somewhat coquettish girl who was always ready to answer De Burgh or Colonel Ormonde with keen prompt wit. Silent, downcast, scarcely able to raise her eyes to Errington's, yet too fascinated to resist his wish to continue their interview.

"I am very glad to meet you here," began Errington in his calm, melodious voice. "It is so much better for you to mix with your kind; it has a wholesome, humanizing influence, and may I venture to say that you are inclined to be morbid?"

"Can you wonder?" said Katherine, soft and low.

"Yes, I do. There is no reason why you should not be bright and happy, and enjoy the goods the G.o.ds--"

"No," she interrupted, playing nervously with the flowers in her bouquet; "not given by the G.o.ds! Stolen from you!" She did not raise her eyes as she spoke.

"I do beg you to put that incident out of your mind. We have arranged the question of succession, as only I had a right to do. No one else need know, and you will, I am sure, make a most excellent use of what is now really yours. Forget the past, and allow me to be your friend."

"I am always thinking of you," she said, almost in a whisper. "Yet it is always a trial to meet you. I think I would rather not. Tell me," with a sudden impulse of tenderness and contrition, looking up to him with humid eyes, "are you well and happy? How have you borne the terrible change in your life?"

"I am perfectly well and quite happy," returned Errington, with a slight smile. "The terrible change, as you term it, has affected me very little. I find real work most exhilarating, and slight success is sweet.

Since I knew that the tangle of my poor father's affairs was satisfactorily unravelled, I have been at ease, comparatively. Life has many sides. I miss most my horses."

"Ah, yes, you must miss them! Well, from what I hear, you seem to be making a place for yourself in literature. I am so glad!"

"Thank you. And you, may I ask, what are your plans?"

"If you are so good as to care, I am going to take a house and make a home for myself and my little nephews. Without any formal agreement, Mrs. Ormonde leaves them very much to me. They are a great interest to me. And as you are so kind in wis.h.i.+ng me to be happy and not morbid, I will try to forget. I think I could be happier if you would promise me something."

"What?"

"If ever--" She hesitated; her voice trembled. "If you ever want anything," she hurried on, nervously, "anything, even to the half of my kingdom, you will deign to accept it from me?"

"I will," said Errington, with a kind and, as Katherine imagined, a condescending smile.

"He thinks me a weak, impulsive child, who must be forgiven because she is scarcely responsible," she said to herself.

"And this preliminary settled, you will admit me to the honor of your acquaintance?"

"Oh, Mr. Errington, do not think me ungrateful. But can you not understand that, good and generous as you are, your presence overwhelms me?"

"Then I will not intrude upon you. Gently and very gravely I accept your decree."

They were silent for a moment; then Katherine said, "I was sure you would understand me." As she spoke, De Burgh suddenly came round the group of ferns and stood before them with an air of displeased surprise.

"Why, Miss Liddell! I thought that desperate filibuster in red satin had carried you off. I have sought you high and low. How d'ye do, Errington? Haven't seen you this age. Mrs. Ormonde wants to go home, Miss Liddell."

"I suppose the recitation is over," said Errington, coolly. "I will take Miss Liddell to Mrs. Ormonde, whom I have not seen for some time."

De Burgh, therefore, had nothing for it but to walk after the man whom he at once decided was a dangerous rival, as indeed he would have considered any one in the rank of a gentleman.

Mrs. Ormonde was quite charmed to see Errington. She had put him rather out of her mind. It was a pleasant surprise to meet him once more in society, for she had a sort of dim idea his ruin was so complete that he must have sold his dress clothes to provide food, and could never, therefore, hold up his head in society again.

"It is quite nice to see you once more!" she exclaimed, with a sweet smile, after they had exchanged greetings. "Colonel Ormonde will be delighted to hear of you. I wish you could come down for a few days'

hunting. Do give me your address, and Duke will write to you."

"There is my address," he said, taking out his card case and giving her a card; "but I fear there is little chance of my getting out of town till long after the hunting is over."

"Oh, you must try. At all events, come and see me. I am at Thorne's Hotel, Dover Street, and almost always at home about five. But I leave town next week."

Here the hostess sailed up, and touching Errington's arm, said "Sir Arthur Haynes, the great authority on international law, you know, wants to be introduced to you, Mr. Errington."

Mrs. Ormonde took the opportunity of saying good-night, and Katherine took farewell of Errington with a bow.

"Twenty-four, Sycamore Court Temple. What a come-down for him!" said Mrs. Ormonde, looking at the card she held, when they reached the cloak-room.

"He seems cheerful enough," said Katherine, irritated at the tone in which the observation was made; "and I thought the Temple was rather a smart place to live in."