"Wait and see us off. If we chance to be killed on the journey--which is always probable on an English railway--you will reproach yourself afterwards if you do not see the last of us.
Here is the train; it will not delay you a minute. Tell Erskine that you saw me here; that I have not forgotten my promise, and that he may rely on me. Get in at this end, Miss Lindsay.""My maid," said Gertrude hesitating; for she had not intended to travel so expensively. "She--""She comes with us to take care of me; I have tickets for everybody," said Trefusis, handing the woman in.
"But--"
"Take your seats, please," said the guard. "Going by the train, sir?""Good-bye, Sir Charles. Give my love to Lady Brandon, and Agatha, and the dear children; and thanks so much for a very pleasant--"Here the train moved off, and Sir Charles, melting, smiled and waved his hat until he caught sight of Trefusis looking back at him with a grin which seemed, under the circumstances, so Satanic, that he stopped as if petrified in the midst of his gesticulations, and stood with his arm out like a semaphore.
The drive home restored him somewhat, but he wee still full of his surprise when he rejoined Agatha, his wife, and Erskine in the drawing-room at the Beeches. The moment he entered, he said without preface, "She has gone off with Trefusis."Erskine, who had been reading, started up, clutching his book as if about to hurl it at someone, and cried, "Was he at the train?""Yes, and has gone to town by it."
"Then," said Erskine, flinging the book violently on the floor, "he is a scoundrel and a liar.""What is the matter?" said Agatha rising, whilst Jane stared open-mouthed at him.
"I beg your pardon, Miss Wylie, I forgot you. He pledged me his honor that he would not go by that train. I will." He hurried from the room. Sir Charles rushed after him, and overtook him at the foot of the stairs.
"Where are you going? What do you want to do?""I will follow the train and catch it at the next station. I can do it on my bicycle.""Nonsense! you're mad. They have thirty-five minutes start; and the train travels forty-five miles an hour."Erskine sat down on the stairs and gazed blankly at the opposite wall.
"You must have mistaken him," said Sir Charles. "He told me to tell you that he had not forgotten his promise, and that you may rely on him.""What is the matter?" said Agatha, coming down, followed by Lady Brandon.
"Miss Wylie," said Erskine, springing up, "he gave me his word that he would not go by that train when I told him Miss Lindsay was going by it. He has broken his word and seized the opportunity I was mad and credulous enough to tell him of. If Ihad been in your place, Brandon, I would have strangled him or thrown him under the wheels sooner than let him go. He has shown himself in this as in everything else, a cheat, a conspirator, a man of crooked ways, shifts, tricks, lying sophistries, heartless selfishness, cruel cynicism--" He stopped to catch his breath, and Sir Charles interposed a remonstrance.
"You are exciting yourself about nothing, Chester. They are in a Pullman, with her maid and plenty of people; and she expressly gave him leave to go with her. He asked her the question flatly before my face, and I must say I thought it a strange thing for her to consent to. However, she did consent, and of course I was not in a position to prevent him from going to London if he pleased. Don't let us have a scene, old man. It can't be helped.""I am very sorry," said Erskine, hanging his head. "I did not mean to make a scene. I beg your pardon."He went away to his room without another word. Sir Charles followed and attempted to console him, but Erskine caught his hand, and asked to be left to himself. So Sir Charles returned to the drawing-room, where his wife, at a loss for once, hardly ventured to remark that she had never heard of such a thing in her life.
