pgw.adamselindistress-第43章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　The　glimpse　she　had　been　given　of　his　inner　self　had　somehow　made　him　e　alive　for　her。
　〃He　wants　to　marry　my　daughter；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton。　　A　few　moments　before；　Billie　would　undoubtedly　have　replied　to　such　a　statement　with　some　jocular　remark　expressing　disbelief　that　the　earl　could　have　a　daughter　old　enough　to　be　married。　But　now　she　felt　oddly　serious　and　unlike　her　usual　flippant　self。
　〃Oh？〃　was　all　she　could　find　to　say。
　〃She　wants　to　marry　him。〃
　Not　for　years　had　Billie　Dore　felt　embarrassed；　but　she　felt　so　now。　She　judged　herself　unworthy　to　be　the　recipient　of　these　very　private　confidences。
　〃Oh？〃　she　said　again。
　〃He's　a　good　fellow。　I　like　him。　I　liked　him　the　moment　we　met。　He　knew　it；　too。　And　I　knew　he　liked　me。〃
　A　group　of　men　and　girls　from　a　neighbouring　table　passed　on　their　way　to　the　door。　One　of　the　girls　nodded　to　Billie。　　She　returned　the　nod　absently。　The　party　moved　on。　Billie　frowned　down　at　the　tablecloth　and　drew　a　pattern　on　it　with　a　fork。
　〃Why　don't　you　let　George　marry　your　daughter；　Lord　Marshmoreton？〃
　The　earl　drew　at　his　cigar　in　silence。
　〃I　know　it's　not　my　business；〃　said　Billie　apologetically；　interpreting　the　silence　as　a　rebuff。
　〃Because　I'm　the　Earl　of　Marshmoreton。〃
　〃I　see。〃
　〃No　you　don't；〃　snapped　the　earl。　〃You　think　I　mean　by　that　that　I　think　your　friend　isn't　good　enough　to　marry　my　daughter。　You　think　that　I'm　an　incurable　snob。　And　I've　no　doubt　he　thinks　so；　too；　though　I　took　the　trouble　to　explain　my　attitude　to　him　when　we　last　met。　You're　wrong。　It　isn't　that　at　all。　When　I　say　'I'm　the　Earl　of　Marshmoreton'；　I　mean　that　I'm　a　poor　spineless　fool　who's　afraid　to　do　the　right　thing　because　he　daren't　go　in　the　teeth　of　the　family。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。　What　have　your　family　got　to　do　with　it？〃
　〃They'd　worry　the　life　out　of　me。　I　wish　you　could　meet　my　sister　Caroline！　That's　what　they've　got　to　do　with　it。　Girls　in　my　daughter's　unfortunate　position　have　got　to　marry　position　or　money。〃
　〃Well；　I　don't　know　about　position；　but　when　it　es　to　moneywhy；　George　is　the　fellow　that　made　the　dollar…bill　famous。　He　and　Rockefeller　have　got　all　there　is；　except　the　little　bit　they　have　let　Andy　Carnegie　have　for　car…fare。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？　He　told　me　he　worked　for　a　living。〃　Billie　was　being　herself　again。　Embarrassment　Red。
　〃If　you　call　it　work。　He's　a　poser。〃
　〃I　know。　Writes　tunes　and　things。〃
　Billie　regarded　him　passionately。
　〃And　I　suppose；　living　out　in　the　woods　the　way　that　you　do　that　you　haven't　a　notion　that　they　pay　him　for　it。〃
　〃Pay　him？　Yes；　but　how　much？　posers　were　not　men　in　my　day。〃
　〃I　wish　you　wouldn't　talk　of　'your　day'　as　if　you　telling　the　boys　down　at　the　corner　store　about　the　good　they　all　had　before　the　Flood。　You're　one　of　the　Younger　Set　and　don't　let　me　have　to　tell　you　again。　Say；　listen！　You　know　that　show　you　saw　last　night。　The　one　where　I　was　supported　by　a　few　underlings。　Well；　George　wrote　the　music　for　that。〃
　〃I　know。　He　told　me　so。〃
　〃Well；　did　he　tell　you　that　he　draws　three　per　cent　of　the　gross　receipts？　You　saw　the　house　we　had　last　night。　It　was　a　fair　average　house。　We　are　playing　to　over　fourteen　thousand　dollars　a　week。　George's　little　bit　of　that　isI　can't　do　it　in　my　head；　but　it's　a　round　four　hundred　dollars。　That's　eighty　pounds　of　your　money。　And　did　he　tell　you　that　this　same　show　ran　over　a　year　in　New　York　to　big　business　all　the　time；　and　that　there　are　three　panies　on　the　road　now？　And　did　he　mention　that　this　is　the　ninth　show　he's　done；　and　that　seven　of　the　others　were　just　as　big　hits　as　this　one？　And　did　he　remark　in　passing　that　he　gets　royalties　on　every　copy　of　his　music　that's　sold；　and　that　at　least　ten　of　his　things　have　sold　over　half　a　million？　No；　he　didn't；　because　he　isn't　the　sort　of　fellow　who　stands　around　blowing　about　his　ine。　But　you　know　it　now。〃
　〃Why；　he's　a　rich　man！〃
　〃I　don't　know　what　you　call　rich；　but；　keeping　on　the　safe　side；　I　should　say　that　George　pulls　down　in　a　good　year；　during　the　seasonaround　five　thousand　dollars　a　week。〃
　Lord　Marshmoreton　was　frankly　staggered。
　〃A　thousand　pounds　a　week！　I　had　no　idea！〃
　〃I　thought　you　hadn't。　And；　while　I'm　boosting　George；　let　me　tell　you　another　thing。　He's　one　of　the　whitest　men　that　ever　happened。　I　know　him。　You　can　take　it　from　me；　if　there's　anything　rotten　in　a　fellow；　the　show…business　will　bring　it　out；　and　it　hasn't　e　out　in　George　yet；　so　I　guess　it　isn't　there。　　George　is　all　right！〃
　〃He　has　at　least　an　excellent　advocate。〃
　〃Oh；　I'm　strong　for　George。　I　wish　there　were　more　like　him　。　。　。　Well；　if　you　think　I've　butted　in　on　your　private　affairs　sufficiently；　I　suppose　I　ought　to　be　moving。　We've　a　rehearsal　this　afternoon。〃
　〃Let　it　go！〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton　boyishly。
　〃Yes；　and　how　quick　do　you　think　they　would　let　me　go；　if　I　did？　I'm　an　honest　working…girl；　and　I　can't　afford　to　lose　jobs。〃
　Lord　Marshmoreton　fiddled　with　his　cigar…butt。
　〃I　could　offer　you　an　alternative　position；　if　you　cared　to　accept　it。〃
　Billie　looked　at　him　keenly。　Other　men　in　similar　circumstances　had　made　much　the　same　remark　to　her。　She　was　conscious　of　feeling　a　little　disappointed　in　her　new　friend。
　〃Well？〃　she　said　dryly。　〃Shoot。〃
　〃You　gathered；　no　doubt；　from　Mr。　Bevan's　conversation；　that　my　secretary　has　left　me　and　run　away　and　got　married？　　Would　you　like　to　take　her　place？〃
　It　was　not　easy　to　disconcert　Billie　Dore；　but　she　was　taken　aback。　She　had　been　expecting　something　different。
　〃You're　a　shriek；　dadda！〃
　〃I'm　perfectly　serious。〃
　〃Can　you　see　me　at　a　castle？〃
　〃I　can　see　you　perfectly。〃　Lord　Marshmoreton's　rather　formal　manner　left　him。　〃Do　please　accept；　my　dear　child。　　I've　got　to　finish　this　damned　family　history　some　time　or　other。　　The　family　expect　me　to。　Only　yesterday　my　sister　Caroline　got　me　in　a　corner　and　bored　me　for　half　an　hour　about　it。　　I　simply　can't　face　the　prospect　of　getting　another　from　an　agency。　Charming　girl；　charming　girl；　of　course；　but　。　。　。　but　。　。　。　well；　I'll　be　damned　if　I　do　it；　and　that's　the　long　and　short　of　it！〃
　Billie　bubbled　over　with　laughter。
　〃Of　all　the　impulsive　kids！〃　she　gurgled。　〃I　never　met　anyone　like　you；　dadda！　You　don't　even　know　that　I　can　use　a　typewriter。〃
　〃I　do。　Mr。　Bevan　told　me　you　were　an　excellent　stenographer。〃
　〃So　George　has　been　boosting　me；　too；　has　he？〃　She　mused。　　〃I　must　say；　I'd　love　to　e。　That　old　place　got　me　when　saw　it　that　day。〃
　〃That's　settled；　then；〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton　masterfully。　　〃Go　to　the　theatre　and　tell　themtell　whatever　is　usual　in　these　cases。　And　then　go　home　and　pack；　and　meet　me　at　Waterloo　at　six　o'clock。　The　train　leaves　at　six…fifteen。〃
　〃Return　of　the　wanderer；　acpanied　by　dizzy　blonde！　　You've　certainly　got　it　all　fixed；　haven't　you！　Do　you　think　the　family　will　stand　for　me？〃
　〃Damn　the　family！〃　said　Lord　Marshmoreton；　stoutly。
　〃There's　one　thing；〃　said　Billie　placently；　eyeing　her　reflection　in　the　mirror　of　her　vanity…case；　〃I　may　glitter　in　the　fighting…top；　but　it　is　genuine。　When　I　was　a　kid；　I　was　a　regular　little　tow…head。〃
　〃I　never　supposed　for　a　moment　that　it　was　anything　but　genuine。〃
　〃Then　you've　got　a　fine；　unsuspicious　nature；　dadda；　and　I　admire　you　for　it。〃
　〃Six　o'clock　at　Waterloo；〃　said　the　earl。　〃I　will　be　waiting　for　you。〃
　Billie　regarded　him　with　affectionate　admiration。　　
　〃Boys　will　be　boys；〃　she　said。　〃All　right。　I'll　be　there。〃
　
　CHAPTER　22。
　
　〃Young　blighted　Albert；〃　said　Keggs　the　butler；　shifting　his　weight　so　that　it　distributed　itself　more　fortably　over　the　creaking　chair　in　which　he　reclined；　〃let　this　be　a　lesson　to　you；　young　feller　me　lad。〃
　The　day　was　a　week　after　Lord　Marshmoreton's　visit　to　London；　the　hour　six　o'clock。　The　housekeeper's　room；　in　which　the　upper　servants　took　their　meals；　had　emptied。　Of　the　gay　pany　which　had　just　finished　dinner　only　Keggs　remained；　placidly　digesting。　Albert；　whose　duty　it　was　to　wait　on　the　upper　servants；　was　moving　to　and　fro；　morosely　collecting　the　plates　and　glasses。　The　boy　was　in　no　happy　frame　of　mind。　　Throughout　dinner　the　conversation　at　table　had　dealt　almost　exclusively　with　the　now　celebrated