pgw.adamselindistress-第49章

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m　to　know　everything　you're　thinking。　I've　never　felt　like　that　before　with　any　man　。　。　。　Even　Geoffrey。　。　。　He　always　puzzled　me。　。　。　。〃
　She　broke　off。　The　corncrake　began　to　call　again　out　in　the　distance。
　〃I　wish　I　knew　what　to　do；〃　she　said　with　a　catch　in　her　voice。
　〃I'll　tell　you　in　two　words　what　to　do。　The　whole　thing　is　absurdly　simple。　You　love　this　man　and　he　loves　you；　and　all　that　kept　you　apart　before　was　the　fact　that　he　could　not　afford　to　marry　you。　Now　that　he　is　rich；　there　is　no　obstacle　at　all。　I　simply　won't　let　you　look　on　me　and　my　feelings　as　an　obstacle。　　Rule　me　out　altogether。　Your　father's　mistake　has　made　the　situation　a　little　more　plicated　than　it　need　have　been；　but　that　can　easily　be　remedied。　Imitate　the　excellent　example　of　Reggie　Byng。　He　was　in　a　position　where　it　would　have　been　embarrassing　to　announce　what　he　intended　to　do；　so　he　very　sensibly　went　quietly　off　and　did　it　and　left　everybody　to　find　out　after　it　was　done。　I'm　bound　to　say　I　never　looked　on　Reggie　as　a　master　mind；　but；　when　it　came　to　find　a　way　out　of　embarrassing　situations；　one　has　to　admit　he　had　the　right　idea。　Do　what　he　did！〃
　Maud　started。　She　half　rose　from　the　stone　seat。　George　could　hear　the　quick　intake　of　her　breath。
　〃You　meanrun　away？〃
　〃Exactly。　Run　away！〃
　An　automobile　swung　round　the　corner　of　the　castle　from　the　direction　of　the　garage；　and　drew　up；　purring；　at　the　steps。　　There　was　a　flood　of　light　and　the　sound　of　voices；　as　the　great　door　opened。　Maud　rose。
　〃People　are　leaving；〃　she　said。　〃I　didn't　know　it　was　so　late。〃　She　stood　irresolutely。　〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　go　in　and　say　good…bye。　But　I　don't　think　I　can。〃
　〃Stay　where　you　are。　Nobody　will　see　you。〃
　More　automobiles　arrived。　The　quiet　of　the　night　was　shattered　by　the　noise　of　their　engines。　Maud　sat　down　again。
　〃I　suppose　they　will　think　it　very　odd　of　me　not　being　there。〃
　〃Never　mind　what　people　think。　Reggie　Byng　didn't。〃
　Maud's　foot　traced　circles　on　the　dry　turf。
　〃What　a　lovely　night；〃　she　said。　〃There's　no　dew　at　all。〃
　The　automobiles　snorted；　tooted；　back…fired；　and　passed　away。　Their　clamour　died　in　the　distance；　leaving　the　night　a　thing　of　peace　and　magic　once　more。　The　door　of　the　castle　closed　with　a　bang。
　〃I　suppose　I　ought　to　be　going　in　now；〃　said　Maud。
　〃I　suppose　so。　And　I　ought　to　be　there；　too；　politely　making　my　farewells。　But　something　seems　to　tell　me　that　Lady　Caroline　and　your　brother　will　be　quite　ready　to　dispense　with　the　formalities。　I　shall　go　home。〃
　They　faced　each　other　in　the　darkness。
　〃Would　you　really　do　that？〃　asked　Maud。　〃Run　away；　I　mean；　and　get　married　in　London。〃
　〃It's　the　only　thing　to　do。〃
　〃But　。　。　。　can　one　get　married　as　quickly　as　that？〃
　〃At　a　registrar's？　Nothing　simpler。　You　should　have　seen　Reggie　Byng's　wedding。　It　was　over　before　one　realized　it　had　started。　A　snuffy　little　man　in　a　black　coat　with　a　cold　in　his　head　asked　a　few　questions；　wrote　a　few　words；　and　the　thing　was　done。〃
　〃That　sounds　rather　。　。　。　dreadful。〃
　〃Reggie　didn't　seem　to　think　so。〃
　〃Unromantic；　I　mean。　。　。　。　Prosaic。〃
　〃You　would　supply　the　romance。〃
　〃Of　course；　one　ought　to　be　sensible。　It　is　just　the　same　as　a　regular　wedding。〃
　〃In　effects；　absolutely。〃
　They　moved　up　the　terrace　together。　On　the　gravel　drive　by　the　steps　they　paused。
　〃I'll　do　it！〃　said　Maud。
　George　had　to　make　an　effort　before　he　could　reply。　For　all　his　sane　and　convincing　arguments；　he　could　not　check　a　pang　at　this　definite　acceptance　of　them。　He　had　begun　to　appreciate　now　the　strain　under　which　he　had　been　speaking。
　〃You　must；〃　he　said。　〃Well　。　。　。　good…bye。〃
　There　was　light　on　the　drive。　He　could　see　her　face。　Her　eyes　were　troubled。
　〃What　will　you　do？〃　she　asked。
　〃Do？〃
　〃I　mean；　are　you　going　to　stay　on　in　your　cottage？〃
　〃No；　I　hardly　think　I　could　do　that。　I　shall　go　back　to　London　tomorrow；　and　stay　at　the　Carlton　for　a　few　days。　Then　I　shall　sail　for　America。　There　are　a　couple　of　pieces　I've　got　to　do　for　the　Fall。　I　ought　to　be　starting　on　them。〃
　Maud　looked　away。
　〃You've　got　your　work；〃　she　said　almost　inaudibly。
　George　understood　her。
　〃Yes；　I've　got　my　work。〃
　〃I'm　glad。〃
　She　held　out　her　hand。
　〃You've　been　very　wonderful。。。　Right　from　the　beginning　。　。　。　You've　been　。　。　。　oh；　what's　the　use　of　me　saying　anything？〃
　〃I've　had　my　reward。　I've　known　you。　We're　friends；　aren't　we？〃
　〃My　best　friend。〃
　〃Pals？〃
　〃Pals！〃
　They　shook　hands。
　
　CHAPTER　25。
　
　〃I　was　never　so　upset　in　my　life！〃　said　Lady　Caroline。
　She　had　been　saying　the　same　thing　and　many　other　things　for　the　past　five　minutes。　Until　the　departure　of　the　last　guest　she　had　kept　an　icy　mand　of　herself　and　shown　an　unruffled　front　to　the　world。　She　had　even　contrived　to　smile。　　But　now；　with　the　final　automobile　whirring　homewards；　she　had　thrown　off　the　mask。　The　very　furniture　of　Lord　Marshmoreton's　study　seemed　to　shrink；　seared　by　the　flame　of　her　wrath。　As　for　Lord　Marshmoreton　himself；　he　looked　quite　shrivelled。
　It　had　not　been　an　easy　matter　to　bring　her　erring　brother　to　bay。　The　hunt　had　been　in　progress　full　ten　minutes　before　she　and　Lord　Belpher　finally　cornered　the　poor　wretch。　His　plea；　through　the　keyhole　of　the　locked　door；　that　he　was　working　on　the　family　history　and　could　not　be　disturbed；　was　ignored；　and　now　he　was　face　to　face　with　the　avengers。
　〃I　cannot　understand　it；〃　continued　Lady　Caroline。　〃You　know　that　for　months　we　have　all　been　straining　every　nerve　to　break　off　this　horrible　entanglement；　and；　just　as　we　had　begun　to　hope　that　something　might　be　done；　you　announce　the　engagement　in　the　most　public　manner。　I　think　you　must　be　out　of　your　mind。　I　can　hardly　believe　even　now　that　this　appalling　thing　has　happened。　I　am　hoping　that　I　shall　wake　up　and　find　it　is　all　a　nightmare。　How　you　can　have　done　such　a　thing；　I　cannot　understand。〃
　〃Quite！〃　said　Lord　Belpher。
　If　Lady　Caroline　was　upset；　there　are　no　words　in　the　language　that　will　adequately　describe　the　emotions　of　Percy。
　From　the　very　start　of　this　lamentable　episode　in　high　life；　Percy　had　been　in　the　forefront　of　the　battle。　It　was　Percy　who　had　had　his　best　hat　smitten　from　his　head　in　the　full　view　of　all　Piccadilly。　It　was　Percy　who　had　suffered　arrest　and　imprisonment　in　the　cause。　It　was　Percy　who　had　been　crippled　for　days　owing　to　his　zeal　in　tracking　Maud　across　country。　　And　now　all　his　sufferings　were　in　vain。　He　had　been　betrayed　by　his　own　father。
　There　was；　so　the　historians　of　the　Middle　West　tell　us；　a　man　of　Chicago　named　Young；　who　once；　when　his　nerves　were　unstrung；　put　his　mother　（unseen）　in　the　chopping…machine；　and　canned　her　and　labelled　her　〃Tongue〃。　It　is　enough　to　say　that　the　glance　of　disapproval　which　Percy　cast　upon　his　father　at　this　juncture　would　have　been　unduly　severe　if　cast　by　the　Young　offspring　upon　their　parent　at　the　moment　of　confession。
　Lord　Marshmoreton　had　rallied　from　his　initial　panic。　The　spirit　of　revolt　began　to　burn　again　in　his　bosom。　Once　the　die　is　cast　for　revolution；　there　can　be　no　looking　back。　One　must　defy；　not　apologize。　Perhaps　the　inherited　tendencies　of　a　line　of　ancestors　who；　whatever　their　shortings；　had　at　least　known　how　to　treat　their　women　folk；　came　to　his　aid。　Possibly　there　stood　by　his　side　in　this　crisis　ghosts　of　dead　and　buried　Marshmoretons；　whispering　spectral　encouragement　in　his　earthe　ghosts；　let　us　suppose；　of　that　earl　who；　in　the　days　of　the　seventh　Henry；　had　stabbed　his　wife　with　a　dagger　to　cure　her　tendency　to　lecture　him　at　night；　or　of　that　other　earl　who；　at　a　previous　date　in　the　annals　of　the　family；　had　caused　two　aunts　and　a　sister　to　be　poisoned　apparently　from　a　mere　whim。　At　any　rate；　Lord　Marshmoreton　produced　from　some　source　sufficient　courage　to　talk　back。
　〃Silly　nonsense！〃　he　grunted。　〃Don't　see　what　you're　making　all　this　fuss　about。　Maud　loves　the　fellow。　I　like　the　fellow。　Perfectly　decent　fellow。　Nothing　to　make　a　fuss　about。　　Why　shouldn't　I　announce　the　engagement？〃
　〃You　must　be　mad！〃　cried　Lady　Caroline。　〃Your　only　daughter　and　a　man　nobody　knows　anything　about！〃
　〃Quite！〃　said　Percy。
　Lord　Marshmoreton　seized　his　adva