Part 10

“Then I’ll tell you what,” said Parslewe, with one of his beautiful smiles and a wave of his hand. “I’ll give it to these two young people! They’re just suited to each other, and it’ll fit their tastes like a glove. They can get married at once, and settle down here, and I’ll come and see them sometimes, and they can come and see me sometimes at Kelpieshaw. That’s the best way I can see out of the difficulty. We’ll settle it on them and their children----”

But by this time Madrasia’s cheeks were aflame, and she turned on Parslewe with blazing eyes.

“Jimmie!” she exclaimed. “How--how dare you? When will you give up that wicked habit of settling other people’s affairs as if--as if they were so many puppets? Why--why--Mr. Craye has never even asked me to marry him!”

Parslewe turned the full force of his grimmest smile on us.

“Well, my dear!” he retorted leisurely. “It’s his own fault if he hasn’t! I’m sure he’s had plenty of opportunity. But----”

Sir Charles rose to the occasion. He rose literally from his chair, bending towards Parslewe; he even allowed himself to indulge in a slight wink at Parslewe.

“My dear sir!” he cooed. “I think--er--if we left our young friends together, my dear sir! A little--er--informal conversation between them--eh?--while you and I--shall we try a glass of the famous Palkeney dry sherry in another apartment, my dear sir? Just so--just so----”

In another moment he had coaxed Parslewe out of the room; the door closed on them. Madrasia and I, seated at opposite sides of the table, stared at each other. It seemed a long time before I found my tongue.

“Madrasia!” I managed to say at last. “Madrasia!”

“Well?” she answered.

“Madrasia!” I continued. “This is absolutely awful! You know what your guardian is!--a dreadful man. Nothing will prevent him from having his own way about--about anything! Whether we like it or not, he’ll go and do what--what he said he would do just now.”

Madrasia looked down at the table, and began to study the pattern of the cloth.

“Well?” she said.

“I don’t think it’s at all well,” said I. “Supposing--just supposing, you know--supposing we fell in with his wishes and--and got married. I’m just supposing, of course!”

“Well?” she said, again.

“Don’t you see what a dreadful thing that would be?” I said.

She gave me a quick flash of her eye--there, and gone in a second.

“Why?” she demanded.

“People would say I married you for your money,” I declared boldly. “That would be awful for both of us!”

She remained silent a moment, tracing the pattern of the cloth with the tip of her finger. Then she spoke--emphatically.

“Rot!” she said.

“No!” said I, with equal emphasis. “Because they would! I know ’em! And it’s beastly hard on me; it upsets my plans. Parslewe’s upset all my plans. If I’d only known----”

“Only known what?” she asked.

“Only known that he was going to spring this on us!” I answered, bitterly. “If I’d only known that, I’d--I’d have----”

“You’d have what?” she asked, as I paused and hesitated.

“Well--I’d have proposed to you this morning when we were in the hotel garden, or in that carriage, or in the wood, when Parslewe was ahead,” I answered. “Or yesterday, or the day before, or the day before that--any time since I first met you. But now--wouldn’t it look as if I were proposing to the Palkeney estate?”

She suddenly looked up, gave me a queer glance, and rising from her chair walked over to one of the embrasured windows. I followed her--and after a moment’s silence, slipped my arm round her waist.

“What on earth’s to be done?” I asked her. “Tell me!”

I got her to look round at last.

“You’re an awful old ass!” she said in a whisper. “I saw the way out at once. He didn’t say he’d give all this to _me_! He said he’d give it to--_us_!”

“Is it going to be--us, then?” I demanded eagerly.

“Seems very like it, I think, doesn’t it?” she answered, demurely.

So--but not for a little while--we went to tell Parslewe.

THE END

TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES:

Italicized text is surrounded by underscores: _italics_.

Obvious typographical errors have been corrected.

Inconsistencies in hyphenation have been standardized.