charlock's wife was easier in her mind. when the start was made she could see her way clearly. the long journey was coming to an end at length and the period of inaction was nearly over. kate charlock sat in her seat, her eyes half-closed, smiling serenely. arnold rent thought he had never seen her smile like that before. it seemed to him that he was one of the most fortunate of men. hitherto, it had never occurred to him to ask himself a question. he had not paused to debate whether this woman loved him or not. perhaps he was afraid to face his own vanity. he had made the suggestion on the spur of the moment, carried away by a spontaneous outburst of love and passion, and kate charlock had responded without a struggle.
yet he could not doubt her. it was impossible to doubt her. no woman with a face and smile like that could have done other than follow the dictates of her heart. she had placed herself in his hands, and so long as he had health and strength she should never repent it. no woman had ever been loved before as he loved kate charlock.
and she, on the other hand, sat there with beautiful lines of resignation on her face, looking the embodiment of all that was good, and pure, and holy. she seemed to be raised above the level of the common earth. and yet she, too, was thinking as she surveyed rent under the long fringe of her eyelashes.
he was a nice-looking fellow, she told herself. she regarded him with a certain amount of good-natured contempt. no doubt he would make a man in time, but he would have many lessons to learn first. he would be easy to manage, too, despite his square chin and the resolute lines of his mouth. he would not be surly and self-contained, like john charlock. on the whole, kate saw a pleasant prospect before her after the scandal was forgotten and things resumed their normal footing. she knew exactly what the process would be. for a year or so they would be studiously avoided by even the most frivolous of her friends. then people would languidly inquire whether or not there had been some scandal in the past, and after that others, bolder than the rest, would be calling on mrs. arnold rent. they would come fast enough, provided there were good dinners and entertainments worth sharing, and arnold rent would have to provide all those things. it was all very well to talk largely of living in a quiet, frugal way and giving nine-tenths of his income to the poor, but kate charlock would see to all that. it was the man's obvious duty to make things smooth for her and pave the way into the pale of society again. it didn't matter much about the man, for in these matters the man never suffers. it is always the woman who pays.
the prospect was alluring, and accounted for the heavenly smile which arnold rent was studying so rapturously. and yet behind it all was a fear that mrs. rent might step down from her high place and shatter the fond illusion. arnold rent might say that his mother idolised him. it was easy to prophesy that she would come forward and welcome the fugitive with open arms. the elderly lady might be all that her son claimed for her, but she was proud and prejudiced, and had all the conventions of her class. what if she were to put her foot down firmly? what if she refused to see them? the telegram she had sent to her son did not indicate a conciliatory spirit. still, if once the threshold were crossed, it would not be easy to dislodge the culprits, and arnold rent as yet had not seen anything but the mere fringe of the artifices which his companion had at her fingertips. she turned to him presently, a little tired of her gloomy thoughts.
"what is your house like, arnold?" she asked.
arnold rent's face lighted up with pleasure.
"oh, alton lee is a beautiful place," he said. "i don't know what kind of architecture you call it, for it has been built from time to time, as occasion required. now it is one mass of ivy and creeping plants. to my mind, it is the most beautiful place in devonshire. it is so restful and peaceful, and i don't believe there are any roses like ours in the world. i suppose, too, there is not a finer collection of antique furniture in the south of england. i have known my grandfather entertain a hundred visitors without the slightest inconvenience."
"how charming," kate charlock murmured. "but that kind of thing is very extravagant. i suppose that is why so many of our great families have become so poor."
the speaker uttered the words thoughtfully, as she gazed dreamily out of the carriage window. rent did not notice what lay behind the simple speech.
"oh, we are by no means poor," he said. "i don't suppose the rents have been more mercenary than other people, but it so happens that most of them married money. our tastes have been fairly simple, too, and we have been very lucky in our advisers. the last time i saw our solicitor, mr. westlake, he told me that i should some day have the control of an estate worth nearly a million."
kate charlock smiled and murmured something to the effect that money was not everything. nevertheless, the statement filled her with the keenest pleasure. in her mind's eye, she could see the stately house rising above the sea. already she was beginning to rearrange the various rooms with their priceless furniture. she saw herself a popular hostess, eagerly sought after and invited everywhere. arnold rent was placing his future in her hands now, but it was only like casting his bread on the waters, and the thing would be worth a struggle. it would be glorious to live the scandal down and force the people who regarded her coldly at first to come cringing for an invitation to alton lee. for the moment kate charlock thought she was genuinely in love with the man opposite. truly, fortune was favouring her. she was getting her recompense for the five dreary years which she had endured under the roof of john charlock.
she was quite convinced of the fact, too, that the blame was wholly charlock's. it must be so, since all her friends had said so. she looked back now to the past five years with complacent pride and soothing self-satisfaction. but all that was going to be altered. before two years had passed there would be no more charming or popular hostess in england than mrs. arnold rent of alton lee. if only arnold's mother——
ah, there was the trouble. with a subtle instinct all her own, kate charlock made no attempt to blind the issue. it was from this quarter the trouble was coming. she felt certain of it. she closed her eyes and feigned sleep. she was getting a trifle tired of the sound of arnold rent's voice. she wished he were a little less boyish, a little less certain of his ground. then, for a while, she sank into oblivion, sitting up with a start when the train stopped at a small station.
"we are here," rent explained. "it is only a short way to the house, and i will take you a near cut through the grounds. let us slip away before the station-master comes fussing along."
it was not dark yet. the air was full of the smell of flowers. the peaceful silence was restful and soothing. but kate charlock was not thinking about that. her mind was possessed with the reflection that all this was her companion's property, and that very soon she would be mistress. she had no keen eye for the beauties of the country, but even she was moved to admiration as the path sloped upwards and the great sylvan landscape began to unfold itself. she saw the wide stretch of the park, where the deer were moving like phantoms in the dusk. she noted the outline of the grand old house beyond. for the moment she was touched and thrilled. it was not the first time she found herself in one of the stately english homes. she had always envied the lot of folk who were blessed in this way, and soon she would actually have one of her own.
"is it not perfect?" rent said, with a thrill in his voice. "are you surprised that i should love the place as i do? the time will come when you will be just as fond of alton lee as i am myself. isn't it a paradise?"
"it is, indeed," kate charlock said rapturously. "but do not let us think so much of our own happiness when there are others to consider. i am more concerned for your poor mother than anyone else. do you know, i should be almost thankful if you made up your mind to turn back, even at this moment. oh, arnold, do you think that your mother will allow me to stay?"
arnold rent smiled convincingly.
"i have no doubt about it," he said. "of course, i don't disguise the fact that this will be a terrible shock to my poor mother, but, you will see, she will make the best of it, especially when she comes to hear your story. i am going to leave you here till i can make you my wife. that is one of the ways by which we can stifle the breath of scandal. and when you become a member of this household——"
kate charlock quickened her footsteps. something like a chill passed over her for a moment.
"come along and let us get it over," she said. "the suspense is more than i can bear. and if your mother fails me in this dreadful crisis, why——"
