i do not know how i parted with vernon carbury. i cannot recall even to this day whether i shook hands with him or not, or even whether he walked with me as far as the gates of the park. what i do remember vividly is this: that i went home to hanbury square like one walking in a dream. the whole world seemed to me to be filled with a wonderful new light. in the midst of this radiance was one figure, one face; out of the brightness one voice seemed to speak, and one pair of eyes to shine. i was certain i did not in the least love captain carbury, but i did know that our meeting had been full of keen excitement, and that i was altogether lifted out of myself into a new and wonderful world. i wanted to be quite alone, to think over what had happened. i was puzzled, too, at the fact that i was trembling, and that my cheeks were hot one minute and that i felt cold all over the next.
morris walked discreetly behind me, and the beautiful smell of the violets came in wafts now and then to my nostrils. during our walk home morris had not spoken to me. when i reached the house i went straight to my pretty bedroom; i wanted more badly than ever to be quite by myself, but morris annoyed me. she followed me into my bedroom, carrying the violets.
"shall i arrange these in your sitting-room for you, miss?" she asked.
"please do," i answered; "and morris, do not come near me for a time, for i wish to be quite alone."
"certainly, miss. i was to say, please, that the major and her ladyship have gone on the river, but that lunch will be ready for you whenever you wish for it in the smaller dining-room."
"i am not hungry, and i don't wish for lunch," i replied.
"shall i bring you up some tea and a lightly boiled egg, miss?"
"yes; that will do nicely," i answered.
she tripped away, and i shut and locked the door. i could not bear to encounter her face, for it was full of meaning. she treated me as though i were slightly ill, and as though she were my nurse. i hated beyond words the knowledge that she shared my secret with me; but then, of course, i had no secret, for although vernon carbury had said those wonderful, those amazing words, i did not love him back again. how was it possible that i, a girl who respected myself, could love a man who a few weeks before had been engaged to another?
i sat in my room, leaning back in my comfortable chair; then i started up and paced the floor impatiently; then i tried very hard to make myself angry with captain carbury—i wanted to force myself even to hate him a little bit—but i did not succeed. i could only remember the look in his eyes, and the smile on his lips, and the thrill in his voice, when he told me how he cared for me, and i could only recall the fact that i certainly would meet him at eleven o'clock on the following morning in hyde park.
morris must share my secret. it was a terrible thing to reflect about, but i could not go to hyde park alone; she must, therefore, accompany me. well, that would end the whole thing. i would tell dear, kind vernon that all my life long i would remember his good words to me, and that i would ever and ever keep him in my gallery of heroes, but that, of course—and i knew that i must speak very steadily and firmly at this juncture of my conversation—i could never love him, nor, by any possibility, marry him. i should be quite pleased to be his friend, but beyond that anything else was impossible.
there came a tap at my door. it was morris, bearing a tray with some delicately-prepared tea, some fragrant toast, some little pats of delicious butter, on a silver tray, and a nice, fresh, brown egg, lightly boiled. morris carried the tray in one hand; in the other she held a great basket full of the most exquisite roses i had ever seen in my life.
"for you, miss dalrymple," she said, and she laid the basket of roses on the dressing-table.
"oh! oh!" i said. i adored flowers, and i buried my face now in the fragrant blooms.
"aren't they beautiful, miss?" remarked morris. "they must have cost a small fortune."
my cheeks were very red indeed, nor did i look up from sniffing at the flowers until morris had left the room, closing the door softly behind her. then i rose slowly, and carrying the basket with me, laid it on the floor at my feet. i sat down by the table, where my small lunch awaited me, but i did not care to eat. i began carefully to take one beautiful blossom after another out of the basket. of course, vernon carbury had sent these flowers to me; there was no doubt whatever on the subject. how reckless of him—how wrong of him! and yet, how splendidly nice and delightful of him! but i must speak to him on this very point to-morrow. he was, of course, far from rich, and he must on no account spend his money on me; i would not permit it for a moment. still, it was delightful to sniff these roses, and to think of him, and to wonder, deep down in my heart, what he could find in a little, insignificant girl like me to love.
i had finished my tea and was standing by the window, when, to my amazement, i heard a firm and determined knock at the door. whoever the person was who waited without, she did not linger long; she turned the handle of the door and entered.
it was my stepmother. her eyes lighted up with pleasure as they fell on the beautiful basket of hothouse roses.
"ah!" she said, "i might have guessed as much. this explains everything, and how lovely!"
"i thought you were on the river," i said.
"a tiresome thing happened," she replied, "and i have come back. aren't those flowers lovely?"
"yes," i said. i felt quite pleased and surprised at her sympathy. was it possible that i had been mistaken in her all the time? was she really the sort of woman who would wish me to care about a man like captain carbury?
she came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder.
"heather," she said, "you are one of the lucky people of the world. i knew that, from the moment i laid my eyes on you; i told your father so, and for some time we both have seen what was coming. yes; you are of the fortunate ones of the earth. remember, heather, in your days of prosperity, that you will always have to thank me for this."
"but nothing is coming," i answered, for although i was surprised and liked her for her sympathy, i would not even pretend that i cared for vernon carbury. then i continued:
"it was impossible for you to know it, whatever you mean by 'it,' for any length of time, for he has only just broken off——"
"he—he has only just broken off!" exclaimed my stepmother. "what are you talking of, child? really, heather, you are the most tiresome girl i ever met. what you want, my dear, is an early engagement, and a quick marriage."
"oh, just what—what——"
"now again you interrupt—i cannot understand you in the very least. what do you mean by 'just what—what'?"
"nothing, mother," i said. it hurt me awfully to say the word, but i forced myself to do it, for father's sake.
"i don't believe you know yourself," remarked lady helen. "now, get into your prettiest dress. we are going to motor in the park, you and i, all by ourselves."
"but where's daddy?" i asked. "i want daddy to come with us."
"your father won't be in until dinner-time; he is very busy. by the way, two gentlemen, special friends of mine—and, indeed, i think one of them is a special friend of yours—are coming to dine here to-night."
"oh!" i said. i felt myself changing colour.
my stepmother gazed at me, and a curious smile, which i did not like, flitted across her face.
"come," she said; "you are a good girl; you are not quite as silly as you seem, and i perceive that you are taking kindly to my arrangements."
"please tell me the names of the gentlemen who are dining here to-night?" i asked.
"i shall do nothing of the kind. i never give away my pet secrets. you will see them when they come, and i wish you to look your very sweetest and best. that new feathery sort of dress, with the silver embroidery, will exactly suit you. you can wear a great bunch of these roses just here"—she indicated the front of my dress—"and morris will arrange a few on the skirt. i assure you, with those additions to your white and silver dress, you will, my dear daughter, be irresistible. it isn't every girl who does so well in her first season; but then, it isn't every girl who has the advantage of a mother like me. now i mustn't waste any more time. ring for morris. tell her that she is to put you into your dark blue costume, with the blue hat to match, and the silver fox fur. get ready as fast as you can. ah! here you are, morris. attend to miss dalrymple, please."
