Ladies Must Live Part 23

"You mean Miss Fenimer is at home, but has given orders that she won't see any one?"

Such, the man admitted, was the case.

"She'll see me," Riatt answered, "take my name up."

The footman, looking still more wretched, obeyed. Riatt heard him go into the little drawing-room overhead, and then there was a long pause. Once he thought he heard a voice raised in anger. As may be imagined his own anger was not appeased by this reception.

While he was waiting, the door of a room next the front-door opened and Mr. Fenimer came out. His astonishment at seeing Riatt was so great that with all his tact he could not repress an exclamation, which somehow did not express pleasure.

"You here, my dear Riatt!" he said, grasping him cordially by the hand.

"Christine, I'm afraid--"

"I've sent up to see," said Max, curtly.

"Ah, well, my dear fellow," Mr. Fenimer went on easily, "come, you know, a man really can't go off in the casual way you did and expect to find everything just as he likes when he comes back. I have a word to say to you myself. Shall we walk as far as the corner together?"

To receive his dismissal from Mr. Fenimer was something that Riatt had never contemplated.

"I should prefer to wait until the footman comes down," he answered.

"No use, no use," said Mr. Fenimer, suddenly becoming jovial, "I happen to know that Christine is out. Come back a little later--"

"And whose hat is that, then?" asked Max.

It had been carelessly left on its crown and the initials "L.L." were plainly visible.

Mr. Fenimer could not on the instant think of an answer, and Riatt decided to go upstairs unannounced.

As he opened the drawing-room door he heard Christine's voice saying: "Thank you, I shall please myself, Lee, even without your kind permission."

The doors in the Fenimer house opened silently, so that though Christine, who was facing the door, saw him at once, Linburne, whose back was turned to it, was unaware of his presence, and answered:

"You ought to have more pride than to want to see a fellow who has made it so clear he doesn't care sixpence about seeing you."

Christine openly smiled at Max, as she answered: "Well, I do want to see him," and Linburne turning to see at what her smile was directed found himself face to face with Riatt.

Max made a gesture to the footman, and shut the door behind his hasty retreat, then he came slowly into the room.

"In one thing you are mistaken, Mr. Linburne," he said. "I do care whether or not I see Miss Fenimer."

Linburne was angry at Christine, not only for insisting on seeing Riatt, but for the lovely smile with which she had greeted him. He was glad of an outlet for his feelings.

He almost shrugged his shoulders. "An outsider can only judge by your conduct, Mr. Riatt," he answered. "And I may tell you that you have subjected Miss Fenimer to a good deal of disagreeable gossip by your apparently caring so little."

"And others by apparently caring so much," said Max.

Christine was the only one who recognized at once the fact that both men were angry; and she did not pour oil on the waters by laughing gaily.

"You can't find any subject for argument there," she observed, "for you are both perfectly right. You have both made me the subject of gossip; but don't let it worry you, for my best friends have long ago accustomed me to that."

"I hope you won't think I'm asking too much, Mr. Riatt," said Linburne, with a politeness that only accentuated his irritation, "in suggesting that as your visit is, I believe, unexpected, and as mine is an appointment of some standing, that you will go away and let me finish my conversation with Miss Fenimer."

Max smiled. "Oddly enough," he said, "I was about to make the same request to you. But I suppose we must let Miss Fenimer settle the question."

Christine smiled like an angel. "Can't we have a nice time as we are?"

she asked.

This frivolous reply was properly ignored by both men, and Riatt went on: "Don't you think you ought to consider the fact that Miss Fenimer and I are engaged?"

"Miss Fenimer a.s.sures me she does not intend to marry you."

"And may I ask if you consider that she does intend to marry you--that is if you should happen to become marriageable?"

"That is a question between her and me," returned Linburne.

Riatt laughed. "I see," he said. "The matrimonial plans of my future wife are no affair of mine?" And for an instant he felt his most proprietary rights were being invaded.

"Miss Fenimer is not your future wife."

"Well, Mr. Linburne, I hear you say so."

"You shall hear _her_ say so," answered Linburne. "Christine," he added peremptorily, "tell Riatt what you have just been telling me."

There was a long painful silence. Both men stood looking intently at Christine, who sat with her head erect, staring ahead of her like a sphinx, but saying nothing. After a moment she glanced up at Max's face, as if she expected to find there an answer to her problem. She did not look at Linburne.

"Christine," said Max very gently, "what have you told Mr. Linburne?"

"She has told me everything," answered Linburne impetuously, and then seeing by the glance that the two others exchanged that such was not the case, his temper got the best of him.

"Do you mean you've been lying to me?" he asked.

"Just what did you tell him, Christine?" said Riatt, finding it easier and easier to be calm and protecting as his adversary grew more violent.

Christine looked up at him with the innocence of a child. "I told him that we did not love each other, and that our engagement was really broken, but that no one was to know until March."

"Why did you tell him that?"

"It's the truth, Max--almost the truth."

"Almost the truth!" cried Linburne. "Do you want me to think you care something for this man after all?"

"In the simple section of the country from which I come," observed Riatt, "we often care a good deal for the people we marry."

Linburne turned on him. "Really, Mr. Riatt," he said, "you don't take an idea very quickly. You have just heard Miss Fenimer say that she did not love you and that she considered your engagement at an end."

"I heard her say she had told you that."

"You mean to imply that she said what was untrue?"

"I could answer your question better," said Riatt, "if I understood a little more clearly what your connection with this whole situation is."