across the breakfast-table kate charlock was smiling sweetly, but it was doubtful whether she heard a single word that rent was saying. she was busy with her own thoughts, which were none of the sweetest. in the first instance she thought that she had counted the cost of her action, but on second thoughts she was not so sure. still, she was satisfied she could not have complied with john charlock's order, for it was nothing else. she would have to make the best of it now. she was eager to get away from england until the scandal had blown over. kate charlock was by no means devoid of vanity, and lady strathmore's studied insolence of the evening before had cut her to the quick. there was the danger of a repetition of this kind of thing so long as she and rent remained at the royal solent hotel.
but she was not blind to the material side of things. it had been the height of folly to go further without having first made overtures to arnold's mother. if she should display anything like hostility, then, indeed, kate might be said to have stepped out of the frying-pan into the fire.
"oh, you needn't feel worried about that," rent said, looking up from his paper. "no one ever yet was afraid of my mother. she is gentle and kind-hearted, but if she takes up the cudgels on anybody's behalf she can be amazingly firm. i don't think you need have any anxiety as to my mother."
the shadow of a contemptuous smile flickered across kate charlock's face. from her point of view, rent's description of his mother was not reassuring. it was an outbreak of firmness of this kind that kate charlock had most reason to dread. it never occurred to rent that his mother's firmness might take a wrong direction. despite his handsome face and intellectual strength, it seemed to kate that in many respects he was little better than a boy compared with her. the saint-like woman by his side could have acted as school-mistress to him. in her mind's eye she already pictured mrs. rent, heart-broken and humiliated at the prospect of the ruin of her son's prospects, and never yet was there mother who regarded her son's wife as in any way worthy of him. while rent was babbling praises of his mother, kate sat pondering the magnitude of the task which lay before her. so far she had hesitated to discuss the plan of campaign, but it would have to be done now. the proper thing was to strike while the iron was hot, to go straight to devonshire and confront mrs. rent with the cataclysm before she had time to hear of it from good-natured friends outside.
"of course, your mother will have to know," she said sweetly and thoughtfully. "i am looking forward to seeing her, and yet i dread the thought of meeting her. you will have to be prepared for a disappointment, arnold. your mother is certain to be shocked. she would be less than human if she does not lay all the blame upon my shoulders."
"never," rent cried. "i will make it quite clear that the blame is entirely mine. i wrote a long letter to my mother before breakfast, fully explaining everything——"
"you have not posted it, i hope. no? well, i am glad of that, because i would prefer that letter not to go. there is only one thing for it—we must travel to devonshire at once and your mother must receive the first intimation of what has happened from your own lips. of course, i shall come with you. i am looking forward to the interview with the greatest possible dread, but my duty is clear. besides, we must get away from here. can't we go this very afternoon?"
rent reproached himself for his thoughtless selfishness. he was prepared to do anything that his companion desired. but nothing could be settled before lunch. most of the people had finished their luncheon, so that the two had the room to themselves. from the long balcony outside came the sound of voices, and kate charlock flushed uncomfortably as she recognised lady strathmore's tones. she had an uneasy feeling that she was the subject of discussion. a moment or two later lady strathmore herself came into the dining-room. she flashed a brilliant smile in rent's direction, but she seemed to be unaware that he was not alone. a sudden anger possessed kate charlock. with audacious passion she came forward and held out her hand.
"you seem to have forgotten me," she said sweetly.
"absolutely," the other woman murmured. "i am afraid you have a distinct advantage over me, though when i come to look at you again i see you bear a strong likeness to mrs. john charlock. but, of course, a dear saint like that would never so far compromise herself as to be lunching here with any man but her husband. mr. rent, can i have a few moments' conversation with you?"
the stroke was so swift and merciless, so utterly unexpected, that kate charlock had no reply. overwhelmed and uncomfortable, with the tears smarting in her eyes, she sank into a chair, without the slightest attempt to detain rent. his face was crimson, too. the corners of his sensitive mouth trembled, but he followed lady strathmore politely to the balcony.
"i am going to be candid with you," she said. "oh, i quite understand how things are. i am a woman of the world and can judge for myself. it is a pity you are not a man of the world, also, or this would never have happened. can't you see for yourself that you ought not to stay here? surely you recognised me last night. i am speaking for your own good, because you are a young man whose education in some respects has been sadly neglected. take my advice——"
"you are mistaken," rent exclaimed. "and as regards mrs. charlock, she is as good and pure as any woman——"
"oh, i have heard all that before," lady strathmore said, with a pitying smile. "you see, i happen to belong to the same set as mrs. bromley-martin, and we are not so shallow-minded and frivolous as you appear to imagine. one side of a story always holds good till the other is told. don't you think john charlock has a side to the story as well?"
rent muttered something incoherent. recalling to mind now his strange interview with john charlock, he could not see that the latter had a single claim to consideration. it was useless to discuss that matter with this hard, worldly woman.
"i see that i am wasting your time," lady strathmore went on. "still, i might as well tell you that mrs. bromley-martin and some of her friends are coming to have tea with me this afternoon at four o'clock, and if in the meanwhile you discover that you have important business elsewhere, why—well, good-bye. wonderfully fresh and bracing atmosphere this morning, don't you think?"
the shrewd woman of the world smiled and went her way. arnold rent's thoughts were not pleasing as he returned to the dining-room. already he was beginning dimly to comprehend the far-reaching effects of his impulsive action, but his heart smote him as he noted the pathetic droop of kate charlock's shoulders as she sat toying with her lunch. lady strathmore was right. it was necessary to go away at once. it might be possible to reach devonshire before night, and, on the whole, it would be better to say nothing to kate about the impending visit of mrs. bromley-martin and her frivolous friends.
"what did she want?" kate asked wearily.
"really, i can hardly tell you," rent stammered. "i don't think she meant to be unkind, though she is a bit hard. the gist of our conversation was that i should get away at once."
kate charlock smiled in her sweet, melancholy way, though her heart was hot within her and passionate words trembled on her lips.
"we must try to forgive her," she said gently, "though she was very cruel to me. but she is right about leaving, and the sooner we set out for devonshire the better. if you will pay the bill, i will go up—what is the matter?"
"upon my word, i am very sorry," rent stammered, "but i have only a few shillings in my pocket. in the excitement of yesterday i forgot all about money. of course, i could telegraph to my solicitors, but even then i could not hear till the morning. still, i know one or two people here, and i will go out at once and see if i can borrow a few pounds. i sha'n't be long."
she sat there till a waiter came into the room with an envelope in his hand. with some agitation she noticed that the handwriting was that of rent. she waved the waiter from the room and, in a frenzy of eagerness, tore open the envelope. there were only a few words hurriedly scrawled on the back of a visiting card.
"there is no help for it," the missive ran, "but i must go back to cowes at once. the business is urgent and admits of no delay. stay where you are until i return. at the very most i cannot be longer than two hours."
there was passion as well as hate in kate charlock's eyes as she tore the card into fragments.
"what does this mean?" she asked. "can he intend to leave me here? but, no, i cannot possibly believe anything of the kind. and yet, how very awkward!"
