arnold rent's mother waited for the lawyer to speak. she scented trouble.
"and now, my dear old friend, what is it?" mrs. rent said quietly. "i see you are in great anxiety about something. i suppose it has to do with money. but, in any case, i am sure you are in no way to blame."
"it has nothing to do with money at all," mr. westlake replied. "from that point of view, things were never better. before i go any further, have you had any news of your son lately? have you heard this morning? i thought, perhaps, possibly——"
"arnold!" mrs. rent exclaimed. "something has happened to him! you are keeping me in suspense."
"indeed, i am not," westlake protested. "so far as i know, there is nothing wrong with your son, who was perfectly well last night. but it is to consult you about arnold that i have hurried here to-day. i learnt something yesterday and immediately went out to southampton last night, where my worst suspicions were confirmed. it struck me as strange that a young man in his position should be telegraphing for money, and i heard one or two rumours in the early part of the week. you must not be too hard upon the boy, because one never knows what temptations unscrupulous women put in the way of impressionable men. and, if i may be allowed to say it, in worldly matters arnold is a little lax."
all the colour left mrs. rent's cheeks. she sat for a moment with her hand pressed to her heart. then her dignity and courage came back to her. her voice was tranquil as she spoke.
"perhaps you had better begin at the beginning, my dear friend," she said. "a mother is always anxious about her child. she has gloomy moments when she fears the worst. i won't say that arnold has never given me any anxiety, because that would not be true, but i never dreamt he would so far forget himself as to tarnish his good name and honour. do you mean to say that he allowed himself to get entangled?"
"that would be hardly fair," westlake said, with lawyer-like caution. "i am told that the lady is exceedingly beautiful and that she has been very unhappy in her married life. she has been described to me as a sweet saint, a kind of madonna—just the sort of creature who would be likely to appeal to a chivalrous, romantic man like your son. i believe that the husband turned his wife out of the house, or that he sold the house over her head, which comes to much the same thing. unfortunately, arnold appeared on the scene at that very moment, and that is how the trouble began. at any rate, the mischief is done and nothing we can say can alter it. the worst feature is that arnold's career is seriously checked. he will have to delay matters. he will have to abandon his experiments till this fancy is forgotten. no one would listen to a man who had been god in the car to another man's wife. of course, this sounds very cruel, but, then, you are always so rational and reasonable that i can speak to you the more freely. believe me, i would have given half i possess if i could have saved the situation before it was too late."
"i know it," mrs. rent said quietly. "my dear richard westlake, this is a bitter blow to me. as yet i can hardly realise it. he must have been mad. he must have been carried away by impulsive good-heartedness. but we are wasting time. i must see arnold. i suppose i shall even have to see the woman. i shall have to sit down in the same room with her."
"that is the point i was coming to," westlake said, almost eagerly. "i want to prevent those misguided people from coming here. that must be avoided at any cost."
"here!" mrs. rent murmured. "do you mean to say that that woman would have the audacity to come to alton lee?"
"i think you will find that that will be the programme," westlake said shrewdly. "unless i am mistaken, mrs. charlock will pose as a martyr, driven to despair by the brutality of a cruel husband. if she gets a footing here the whitewashing process will be half complete. it will be held that she has the support and sympathy of so great a lady as mrs. rent. and even if the other man takes proceedings, as he is sure to do, half the people who read the case will come to the conclusion that mrs. charlock is an injured woman. she may be a saint, of course. but that is not a synonym for a fool."
mrs. rent looked despairingly across the park. she was beginning to appreciate the full force of the disaster. her pride was in arms. the strong side of her character began to show uppermost, and there was a depth and force in her moral nature that few people dreamt of. her duty was plain. if it wounded her to the heart, she must do that which was right and proper.
"i begin to see my way," she said quietly. "i will go and see my unhappy boy and this woman. i will go up with you to-day. it may be that there are extenuating circumstances. indeed, i shall only be too glad to be able to take a lenient view of this disgraceful affair. but if you will give me arnold's address i will telegraph to him that on no account is he to come here. it would be an outrage."
"to tell the truth," westlake confessed, "i have already taken the liberty of sending a telegram in your name. i did it directly i got the news. you see, there was no time to be lost, and they might already be on their way."
"quite right," mrs. rent murmured. "by the way, what did you say was the name of this woman? it sounded familiar."
"charlock," westlake explained. "i believe her husband is an artist, or something of that kind."
"i wonder if he is any relation to the charlock?" mrs. rent mused. "i have been in correspondence with him. but i suppose that is out of the question, especially as there are two or three charlocks who are artists."
westlake glanced at the speaker. she was taking the blow with far greater resignation and courage than he had expected. the colour had crept back into her cheeks. her face was strong and resolute. come what might, she would do the right and proper thing; she would vindicate the honour of the family. she rose now and suggested that it was time for tea.
"it seems strange to mention the meal," she said, "but i suppose the world will go on the same, even though this black disgrace has fallen on the family. but fancy having to tell ethel! my heart sinks at the mere thought of it. and the servants, too, every one of whom was born on the estate. but the thing will have to be done, bitterly as one resents it. everybody must know. there shall be no attempt at deceit or prevarication. as soon as we have had tea you had better decide to take a stroll in the garden and smoke a cigar. i shall not be able to rest till ethel knows the story. now give me your arm."
in silence they passed between the rose-bushes, across the velvet lawns to the drawing-room. the light was subdued, and mrs. rent was grateful for it. she had no desire to be under the scrutiny of ethel's keen eyes. the girl came forward from behind a bank of roses and fern. something suggested suppressed excitement in her manner.
"well, are all the secrets told?" she asked gaily. "or has mr. westlake got a surprise in store for us? but, whether he has or not, i have a surprise for you. you know you were talking just now of a famous artist who was to paint my portrait. what would you say if i told you that mr. john charlock is in the library at the present moment?"
something like a groan escaped westlake's lips.
"the husband," he murmured. "the husband, for a million. now, what on earth is the fellow doing here?"
there was a startled expression on mrs. rent's face.
"this had not occurred to me," she murmured. "strange that i had failed to notice it. fancy a thing like this happening in so quiet and respectable a house as alton lee! it reminds one of those dreadful plays where extraordinary events take place in the most unexpected quarters. who could have foreseen the elements of such a drama four-and-twenty hours ago? i should have said this would be the last house in the world to entertain anything like this. but perhaps the misfortune will prove to be a blessing in disguise. don't you think we might settle matters, now that mr. charlock is here, in such a way that there shall be no scandal? i cannot possibly believe that my son is——"
"an ordinary human being," westlake said cynically. "my dear madam, when a young man comes in contact with a beautiful woman who is cold-blooded and playing entirely for her own hand, nobody knows what will take place. believe me, this is not the time for weakness or compromise. it may be that your son is acting from the highest possible motives. it may be that his soul is full of chivalry and all that kind of thing. nevertheless, i should like to hear what you have to suggest."
mrs. rent pondered the matter for a moment.
"cannot you think of anything?" she asked timidly. "oh, i don't know how to act. i can't think what to do for the best. and yet it seems as if this were a direct intervention of providence. on the other hand, you may say that it would be far better if mr. charlock left the house without delay."
