Patricia Brent, Spinster Part 35

"Did you tell her so?" asked Lady Tanagra.

"Tell her so, I should think I did!" said Mr. Triggs, "and more than once too."

"Oh, you foolish, foolish man!" cried Lady Tanagra, wringing her hands in mock despair. A moment afterwards she burst out laughing at the comical look of dismay on Mr. Triggs's face.

"What 'ave I done?" he cried in genuine alarm.

"Why, don't you see that you have implied that all the luck is on her side, and that will make her simply furious?"

"But--but----" began Mr. Triggs helplessly, looking very much like a scolded child.

"Now sit down," ordered Lady Tanagra with an irresistible smile, "and I'll tell you. My brother wants to marry Patricia, and Patricia, for some reason best known to herself, says that it can't be done. Now I'm sure that she is fond of Peter; but he has been so impetuous that he has rather taken her breath away. I've never known him like it before," said Lady Tanagra plaintively.

"But 'e's an awfully lucky fellow if 'e gets 'er," broke in Mr. Triggs, as if feeling that something were required of him.

"Why, of course he is," said Lady Tanagra. "Now will you help us, Mr.

Triggs?"

Lady Tanagra looked at him with an expression that would have extracted a promise of help from St. Anthony himself.

"Of course I will, me dear. I--I beg your pardon," stuttered Mr.

Triggs.

"Never mind, let it stand at that," said Lady Tanagra gaily. "I'm sure we're going to be friends, Mr. Triggs."

"Knew it the moment I set eyes on you," said Mr. Triggs with conviction.

"Well, we've got to arrange this affair for these young people," said Lady Tanagra with a wise air. "First of all we've got to prove to Patricia that she is really in love with Peter. If she's not in love with him, then we've got to make her in love with him. Do you understand?"

Mr. Triggs nodded his head with an air that clearly said he was far from understanding.

"Well, now," said Lady Tanagra. "Patricia knows only three people that know Peter. There is you, G.o.dfrey Elton, and myself. Now if she's in love with him she will want to hear about him, and----"

"But ain't she going to see 'im?" demanded Mr. Triggs incredulously.

"No, she says that she doesn't want Peter ever to see her, write to her, telephone to her, or, as far as I can see, exist on the same planet with her."

"But--but----" began Mr. Triggs.

"It's no good reasoning with a woman, Mr. Triggs, we women are all as unreasonable as the Income Tax. Now if you'll do as you are told we will prove that Patricia is wrong."

"Very well, me dear," began Mr. Triggs.

"Now this is my plan," interrupted Lady Tanagra. "If Patricia really cares for Peter she will want to hear about him from friends. She will, very cleverly, as she thinks, lead up the conversation to him when she meets you, or when she meets G.o.dfrey Elton, or when she meets me. Now what we have to do is just as carefully to avoid talking about him. Turn the conversation on to some other topic. Now we've all got to plot and scheme and plan like--like----"

"Germans," interrupted Mr. Triggs.

"Splendid!" cried Lady Tanagra, clapping her hands.

"But why has she changed her mind?" asked Mr. Triggs.

"You must never ask a woman why she changes her frock, or why she changes her mind, because she never really knows," said Lady Tanagra.

"Probably she does it because she hasn't got anything else particular to do at the moment. Ah! here's Peter," she cried.

Bowen came forward and shook hands cordially with Mr. Triggs.

"This is splendid of you!" he said. "You'll lunch with us, of course."

"Oh no, no," said Mr. Triggs. "I just ran in to--to----"

"To get to know me," said Lady Tanagra with a smile.

"Of course! That's it," cried Mr. Triggs, beaming. "I can't stop to lunch though, I'm afraid. I must be going to----"

"Have you got a luncheon engagement?" asked Lady Tanagra.

"Er--well, yes."

"Please don't tell fibs, Mr. Triggs. You're not engaged to lunch with anybody, and you're going to lunch with us, so that's settled."

"Why, bless my soul!" blew Mr. Triggs helplessly as he mopped his head with his handkerchief. "Why, bless my soul!"

"It's no good, Mr. Triggs. When Tanagra wants anything she has it,"

said Bowen with a laugh. "It doesn't matter whether it's the largest pear or the nicest man!"

Lady Tanagra laughed. "Now we'll go down into the dining-room."

For an hour and a half they talked of Patricia, and at the end of the meal both Lady Tanagra and Bowen knew that they had a firm ally in Mr.

Triggs.

"Don't forget, Mr. Triggs," cried Lady Tanagra as she bade him good-bye in the vestibule. "You're a match-maker now, and you must be very careful."

And Mr. Triggs lifted his hat and waved his umbrella as, wreathed in smiles, he trotted towards the revolving doors and out into the street.

After he had gone Lady Tanagra extracted from Bowen a grudging promise of implicit obedience. He must not see, telephone, write or telegraph to Patricia. He was to eliminate himself altogether.

"But for how long, Tan?" he enquired moodily.

"It may be for years and it may be for ever," cried Lady Tanagra gaily as she b.u.t.toned her gloves. "Anyhow, it's your only chance."

"d.a.m.n!" muttered Bowen under his breath as he watched her disappear; "but I'll give it a trial."

II

The next afternoon as Patricia walked down the steps of Number 426 Eaton Square and turned to the left, she was conscious that in spite of the summer suns.h.i.+ne the world was very grey about her. She had not gone a hundred yards before Lady Tanagra's grey car slid up beside her.

"Will you take pity on me, Patricia? I'm at a loose end," cried Lady Tanagra.